What’s cooking today: Shoulder of lamb with toasted cumin butter

In my estimation, a lamb shoulder is a meal for two. It’s a generous meal, to be sure, but if you cooked one for four the portions would be on the miserly side. Three is manageable. But who doesn’t want seconds of deliciously succulent lamb? So, rather see it as an indulgent meal for two.

Cumin, butter, salt and pepper drive the dish, but I did add white wine (red would alter the flavour profile too much) and stock while reducing the pan juices. I used chicken stock as I didn’t want to mask the lamb flavour, but you could use vegetable or lamb stock. But not beef.

(Serves 2 generously, 4 at a push)

Ingredients

1 shoulder of lamb, size immaterial

2 tsp cumin seeds

4 Tbsp butter

Dash of olive oil

Salt to taste

A liberal sprinkling of black pepper

A glass of dry white wine

200 ml chicken or vegetable stock

Method

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Put the cumin seeds in a heavy oven dish (suitable for the lamb shoulder) and put it on a lowish heat. When the seeds are nicely toasted (you’ll smell it and perhaps see a bit of smoke emitting from them), turn up the heat and add the butter, melt it, add a dash of olive oil, and brown the lamb well on both sides and at the edges.

Season the meat on both sides with coarse sea salt and black pepper.

Transfer to the oven, uncovered, and immediately turn the heat down to 170℃ or 160℃. (My gas oven is best at 170℃ but ovens differ.)

Roast slowly until the meat is fall-apart tender, about 2 hours. Move the shoulder to another receptacle and let it rest in a warm place for a few minutes, or cover lightly with foil.

Add wine and stock to the pan juices and reduce by half on a high heat. Strain the sauce into a jug and then pour it back into the pan and reduce it a bit more. 

When serving lamb shoulder, don’t be all coy about slicing dainty slivers of meat. It breaks off naturally in chunks, and biting into that natural texture is a part of the joy of it. Just pour that delicious sauce over and get in there. DM/TGIFood

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks. Share your versions of his recipes with him on Instagram and he’ll see them and respond.

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