Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with boulangere potatoes – Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food

This recipe won’t win any prizes for stylish presentation but it tastes wonderfully warming on a cold winters day and takes very little effort. It is from Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food. Tom runs the Hand and Flowers in Marlow which we all love although we’ve only ever eaten the set lunches.  I went off him some after reading this article http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/nov/08/top-chefs-unite-against-blogger-s-review but I watched one of the tv programmes accompanying this book when he demonstrated this recipe and thought it looked worth a try and the following Sunday I wanted to do a roast but knew we’d be out all morning and this was perfect as it cooks for 4-5 hours at a low heat.

The lamb fat soaks into the potatoes and they are melt in the mouth soft except the top layer which is seriously crispy. I don’t want to think about the calorie value of this dish and it is for that reason only that it will be a few weeks before I cook this again. If the decision was purely taste and ease I’d make it next weekend. There was just enough meat leftover to warm and pop into two pitta breads the next day with some lettuce.

Next time I will layer the onions and potatoes separately so that there are no onions on top as they crisped up a little too much and I shall ensure the top layer of potatoes are small rings so they break more easily.

Ingredients

• 3 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 6 large waxy potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch thyme, leaves picked
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 whole lamb shoulder
• 1 garlic bulb, peeled and separated into cloves
• 568ml/1 pint chicken stock
• cooked green beans or other green veg to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 130C/275F/Gas 1.
2. In a bowl combine the onions, potatoes and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Layer the potatoes and onions in a roasting tin and place the lamb on top skin-side up.
4. Cut small incisions in the lamb using a small knife and stick the whole garlic cloves in the holes, pushing them into the meat to prevent them burning while the meat cooks.
   
5. Pour the chicken stock over and place in the oven for 4-5 hours.
6. When cooked, remove the lamb from the oven, cover with aluminium foil and set aside to rest for 20 minutes. Optionally pop potatoes back in to crisp up potatoes that were under the lamb.
7. Serve with French beans (or any green vegetable of your choice).

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