subject: How To Make The Perfect Braised Shoulder Of Lamb [print this page] In order to make the perfect braised shoulder of lamb the preparation time is key, therefore, to take in to account the preparation time, for the total cooking time you should allow approx two and a half hours to three hours in total.
We then need to set the temperature, prior to commencing with making the actual pie and set your oven to gas mark three which would equate to one hundred and seventy degrees Celsius or alternatively, three hundred and twenty five degrees Fahrenheit. Once complete the dish should serve four to six people pending on portion sizes.
So to start we need one portion of lean beef shoulder of lamb, approx weight one point eight kilo grams (four pounds), a good butcher should be able to provide this for you. Some salt and pepper, thirty ml or two table spoons of sunflower oil, two medium sized onions, peeled and quartered. Two large carrots peeled and roughly chopped. Two sticks of celery, washed and roughly chopped. Thirty ml or two table spoons of runny honey. Three hundred ml or half a pint of good red wine. One hundred and fifty ml or a quarter of a pint of good hot lamb stock and finally ten springs of fresh aroma filled rosemary.
Once all ingredients are ready and to hand we can now start to make our braised shoulder of lamb. So firstly Place the lamb joint on a chopping board and season on both sides. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Cook the lamb for three to four minutes on both sides until brown and transfer to a two point eight litre (5pint) casserole dish with a lid or a large non-stick roasting tin.
Add the onions, carrots and celery to the frying pan and cook for three to four minutes until brown. Transfer to the casserole dish or roasting tin. Add the honey, the wine, the lamb stock and rosemary to the casserole dish or roasting tin. Bring to the boil, and reduce the heat, cover (with a large sheet of foil if using a roasting tin) and transfer to the oven for two and a half hours to three hours. Turn the lamb over half way through the cooking time.
A great tip when making this particular dish is to use a large roasting tin if your pan is not large enough, it is not essential to use a pan. And if preferred you can halve the recipe and only use one nine hundred gram (two pound) lamb half shoulder instead.
