INGREDIENTS
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Pickled Red Onion
230g distilled vinegar
1 bay leaf
10g thyme
2g black peppercorns
100g water
100g brown sugar
10g salt
2 red onions
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Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder
½ lamb shoulder (approx. 800g)
50ml olive oil
2 bay leaves
1–2 bulbs garlic, peeled
350ml balsamic vinegar
5 banana shallots, roughly chopped
12g fresh rosemary
12g fresh thyme
20g fresh basil
4 vine tomatoes, quartered
12g fine sea salt
3g black pepper
30g light brown demerara sugar
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Fennel Seed Mint Yogurt
500g thick yogurt
8g salt
3g toasted fennel seeds, crushed
3g toasted fenugreek, crushed
8–10 mint leaves, finely sliced
8–10 basil leaves, finely sliced
Lemon zest
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Fresh Pesto
40g rocket
40g basil
80g pine nuts
110g Parmesan
2 garlic cloves, microplaned
12 turns milled black pepper
3g sea salt
200g olive oil
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Farro Wheat Salad
450ml boiling vegetable stock
300g farro wheat
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Juice and zest of 1 orange
8g salt
2g crushed black pepper
30g Kalamata olives, roughly chopped
30g pine nuts, roughly chopped
50g sun-dried tomatoes, diced (soaked in stock)
2g toasted fennel seeds, crushed
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Final Assembly
100g warmed pulled lamb
20g rocket leaves
15g mint yogurt
Fresh focaccia
Farro wheat salad
25g pickled red onion
1 pitta bread
A few torn mint leaves
Method
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Pickled Red Onion
Cut the onions in half, lay flat-side down and slice thinly on a mandolin.
Simmer the vinegar, water, sugar and salt until dissolved, then cool.
Pour over the sliced onions and compress twice. Set aside.
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Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Season the lamb with half the salt and pepper. Heat a casserole pan with olive oil over a medium heat and place the lamb fat-side down. Caramelise for 5 minutes to render the fat, then colour the other side and remove to a rack.
Return the pan to the heat and add the shallots and garlic. Season with the remaining salt and pepper, add the sugar, thyme, rosemary and bay, and cook for 10–12 minutes until golden. Add the tomatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the balsamic vinegar and basil.
Return the lamb to the pan, cover with parchment paper and a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a slow simmer, then transfer to the oven at 170°C and cook for 2½–3 hours, until the lamb is falling off the bone. Check every 30 minutes, topping up with a little water if needed, allowing the sauce to reduce.
Once cooked, allow the lamb to cool slightly. Pick all the meat onto a tray. Place the bones and trimmings back into the pan with the sauce, add a little water if needed and simmer steadily for 40 minutes, skimming as required. Pass the sauce into a clean pan, reduce by half, skim off excess fat, then pass through a fine sieve and spoon over the lamb.
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Fennel Seed Mint Yogurt
Mix the yogurt with salt, fennel seeds and fenugreek.
Strain in muslin for 24 hours.
Fold through the mint, basil and lemon zest.
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Fresh Pesto
Blend all ingredients for 20–30 seconds until smooth. Chill until needed.
(Optional: a little mayonnaise can be added.)
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Farro Wheat Salad
Place the farro and all ingredients into a bowl.
Set over a pan of steaming water, cover tightly with cling film and cook for 25 minutes, or until tender.
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Final Assembly
Spread the mint yogurt on one side of the bread and pesto on the other.
Place the lamb on the pesto side, followed by the farro salad.
Add the rocket, pickled red onion and mint leaves to the yogurt side. Bring together, cut in half and serve.