Shared by Claudia Roden
Shared by Claudia Roden
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Apricot Sauce
Yield: 8-10 servingsTime: 4 hours and 40 minutes
Slow Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Apricot Sauce
Yield: 8-10 servingsTime: 4 hours and 40 minutesFamily Journey
Aleppo and IstanbulCairo
London
This Passover dish from cookbook author Claudia Roden has evolved over the years. Here, she shares its story in her own words:
Our special Passover dish in Egypt was breast of lamb with rice stuffing and apricot sauce. It was a legacy of my paternal grandmother Sarah Hara who came to Egypt in 1898 with her husband Eliahu Douek and nine daughters, pregnant with my father Cesar. It was the dish my mother cooked on their first Seder after my parents arrived in London as refugees in 1956. I cooked it for my first Seder in my own home. Now it has become roast shoulder of lamb with apricot sauce accompanied by a festive rice (LINK) different from the traditional one.
Cooking note: This recipe calls for a whole bone-in lamb shoulder, which is worth seeking out. The bone adds a deep flavor and richness to the dish. If you can’t find a bone-in shoulder, a boneless one will work, but begin checking for doneness after 2 hours, since it will cook faster.
Read more about Claudia’s family in "Claudia Roden Has Carefully Preserved a Lost Jewish" and try her recipes for Egyptian charoset, braised fava beans and artichoke bottoms, spiced saffron rice with nuts, and flourless chocolate cake.
Ingredients
For the roasted lamb:
- 1 whole bone-in lamb shoulder (about 2½-4 lb)
- Olive oil
- Gray sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
For the apricot sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely diced shallots (about 3 shallots)
- ½ cup diced dried apricots
- ½ chopped fresh thyme leaves, optional
- ½ cup white wine
- 2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2-3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon honey, optional
Preparation
Step 1
Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow it to reach room temperature.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 460°F. Thoroughly dry the lamb, then rub it with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and let it sit for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Place the shoulder skin-side up in a baking dish or roasting pan and roast for 15–20 minutes, until it develops a golden-brown color.
Step 4
Reduce the heat to 300°F, pull out the roasting pan, add 1 cup of chicken broth to the pan, and cover tightly with a layer of parchment paper and two layers of foil. Return to the oven and cook for 3–4 hours. Every hour or so, remove the cover and baste it with the sauce at the bottom of the pan, then cover tightly again and continue cooking.
Step 5
Meanwhile, prepare the apricot sauce: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
Step 6
Add the dried apricots and sauté for another 3–4 minutes. Stir in the thyme and wine, and allow the alcohol to evaporate, about 5-7 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, uncovered, for 25–30 minutes, until the apricots are completely soft.
Step 7
Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce to the desired consistency, either slightly chunky or smooth, then stir in the lemon zest and juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, lemon juice, or honey as needed.
Step 8
You’ll know the lamb is ready when it can be easily pulled from the bone with a fork. Test this from the bottom of the shoulder so as not to affect its appearance. When the lamb is ready, remove the cover and roast uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the skin develops a deep golden color. Remove the lamb from the oven and let it rest, covered with its parchment paper, for 15 minutes.
Step 9
To serve, carefully transfer the lamb from the roasting pan to a platter. At the table, use tongs or two forks to pull the meat and serve onto individual plates. Serve with warm apricot sauce on the side.
