I love being able to pop something on in the morning and knowing that the evening rhythm will be so much less busy as dinner is sorted. This is a beautiful recipe for the colder months. We love to eat this melt in your mouth lamb dish as a fancy pasta sauce. Normally serving it mixed into some rice & quinoa pasta or traditional Italian pasta. If you have fussy eaters – take all the olives and any lamb skin and bones out and puree it – the perfect pasta sauce packed full of nutrients that they won’t even know about! I made a version of this (with less tomato) when Abbie begin eating meat and broths and she would devour it.
With any left overs, I usually make a beautiful lamb soup the next day, adding in some root vegetables, fresh herbs, green beans and whatever else is lurking in the fridge drawer.
From the Pantry
approx. 1.5 kg lamb shoulder bone in or 4 lamb shanks
coconut oil
butter
2 carrots
4 sticks celery
1 leek
1 onion (red or brown)
3 cloves garlic, sliced
herbs – 1 sprig of rosemary, 2 bay leaves and some sage
200mls sulphite free white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tomatoes, diced
500ml homemade beef or chicken bone broth
300g Sicilian green olives (these really make the dish)
half a bunch of parsley, chopped
grated parmasen for serving
cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for serving
Let’s Begin
1. In an enamel coasted pot, seal the lamb shoulder or lamb shanks in some coconut oil. Once nicely coloured on all sides, remove and set aside. This renders the fat and adds a lot of flavour to the dish.
2. In the same pot, add some more coconut oil and butter and add the carrot, celery, onion, leek, garlic and herbs in the pan. Cook until the onion is translucent.
3. Add the olives, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, parsley, white wine and beef or chicken bone broth and mix for a few minutes
4. Place the lamb shoulder or lamb shanks into the pot and cover with a lid.
5. Slow cook in oven on 100 degrees C for about 6-8 hours. I usually put it on before bed, and awake to a melt in your mouth meal that we can enjoy for lunch.
6. Once meat is falling off the bone and super tender, remove the shoulder and set aside in a bowl. Remove any herb stalks. Get a barmix/ handheld mixer and puree everything remaining – this thickens the sauce.
7. Add back the lamb (without the bones)
8. Serve with lots of juices on its own or with some fresh egg pasta or gnocchi, glug of olive oil and freshly grated parmasen.
I hope you enjoy. Nat xx
