Succulent Slow-roasted Lamb Shoulder Recipe

Slow-roasted lamb is a family favourite and the hero dish of many Sunday night dinners. To help you create the ultimate family dinner at home, the founder of Sweet Greek Kathy Staples has shared her delicious recipe.  The aromas of the lamb, garlic, lemon and herbs permeate the kitchen as it slowly cooks, enticing the family to join in on the feast at the dinner table.

• 1 shoulder of lamb 
• 2 lemons, skin and pith removed so you have just the flesh 
• 3 onions
• 1 head of garlic 
• 8 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced in half 
• olive oil
• 1 tbsp oregano sprigs of rosemary 
• 2 tsp cooking salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

1. Firstly, clean your lamb using a damp paper towel. Remove any fat that you don’t want, but don’t remove too much because fat keeps the meat moist. 
2. Preheat your oven to 200 ̊C. 
3. Clean and peel the onions. Slice them about L/e inch thick and assemble them on the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on them and drizzle olive oil. 
4. Place the lamb on top. 
5. In a bowl, put the salt, pepper, oregano and garlic cloves (halve the garlic cloves as it is easier to insert). Generously sprinkle the seasoning over the lamb on both sides. 
6. Using a sharp knife, make incisions all over the lamb. Insert the garlic cloves and a little rosemary into these incisions. 
7. Now you need to slice your lemons and place the slices all over the lamb. 
8. Cut the whole head of garlic in half and place halves in the baking dish. 
9. Drizzle a little olive oil over the top of the lamb. 
10. Tear a sheet of baking paper large enough to cover your dish. Wet it under a tap, scrunch it up and cover your lamb as though the baking paper were a little blanket. 
11. Cover the entire baking dish with foil and put it in the oven. For the first 30 minutes, bake it at 200 ̊C in a fan-forced oven. Then reduce your temperature to 150 ̊C and bake for a further 1 ½ hours. 
12. Remove the foil and baking paper and bake the lamb uncovered for another 30 minutes.