Outback Lamb Shoulder
Slow cooked Moroccan lamb with labna and couscous
This is my second blog and I'm wondering what I'm getting myself into here. I think my blog is going to be a bit like a first date. So awkward in the beginning, but eventually we all relax and after a while we could actually start to enjoy ourselves.
So, as I'm doing right now, pour yourselves a glass of red - it makes writing so much easier - and enjoy my latest Outback Lamb offering. All the recipes I'm sharing are tested on my in-house guinea pigs - Bill, Lily, Archie, Evie and Jim...and any friends and extended family who happen to be passing by. If something doesn't work, I'm usually told straight away. No room for hurt feelings around here.
By the way, the Outback Lamb crew of Westpoint Farm extend a big warm hello and thanks for stopping by our site and checking out our blog. We do hope you come back. Don't hesitate to drop us a line too - we love feedback on our product and what you're doing with it.
INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp ras el hanout (Moroccan spice mix)
1 tbsp sumac
3 tsp salt
2 x 1kg shoulder of lamb (with bone), trimmed
1 tbsp olive oil1
1 cup couscous
pomegranate seeds (sometimes I use a 1/2 cup crasins,
currants or even pine nuts, anything you have handy
is suitable here as pomegranate is so seasonal)
1/2 cup mint leaves, torn
1/2 cup labna, crumbled, to serve
METHOD
Preheat oven to 130C. Combine ras el hanout and salt in a small bowl. Rub lamb with oil and sprinkle with ras el hanout and salt mixture and place into a roasting pan. Pour 1 cup water into base of roasting pan.
Cover lamb with foil. Roast for 5–6 hours or until lamb is very tender. Remove foil and return to oven for 45 minutes. Stand for 10 minutes before removing lamb from bone and shredding.
Put couscous in a heatproof bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Cover and stand for 5 minutes. Stir with a fork, separating grains.
TO SERVE
Spoon couscous onto serving plates. Top with shredded lamb. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds, mint and labna.
LABNA (YOGHURT CHEESE)
Line a sieve with a double layer of muslin. Combine 500g thick Greek-style yoghurt with 2 tsp salt in a bowl. Spoon yoghurt into sieve. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (preferably 2 nights) to drain all liquid from yoghurt. Discard whey.
Finely chop 1/2 cup mixed herb leaves (flat-leaf parsley, thyme, dill and mint). Roll 2 tsp yoghurt into a ball. Roll in herbs and put in a sterilised jar. Repeat with remaining yoghurt and herbs. Cover balls with olive oil. Seal jar and put in the fridge for up to 1 week. Sometimes I use a blend of dukkah and whatever herbs are handy, but there's no hard and fast rules.
If you'd like to order more Outback Lamb go to our products page.
