Cornish shoulder of lamb, chilli salsa bruschetta and lemon verbena yoghurt
This is a dish perfect for when you have a bit of time to prepare, or if you have leftover slow-cooked lamb from a Sunday roast.
Ingredients
For the cold pickle
- 150ml/5fl oz white wine vinegar
- 150ml/5fl oz caster sugar
- 50ml/2fl oz olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
For the lamb
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz lamb shoulder
- 3 lemons, halved
- 3 garlic cloves
- 6 thyme sprigs
- 6 rosemary sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 100²µ/3½´Ç³ú butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 400ml/14fl oz white wine
- sea salt
For the salsa and grilled sourdough
- 3 large slices good-quality sourdough
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 red chilli, thinly sliced on an angle
- 1 green chilli, thinly sliced on an angle
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced on an angle
- 12 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
- handful sliced basil leaves
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- 1 lemon, juice only
- olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the yoghurt
Method
To make the cold pickle, place all the ingredients in saucepan with 600ml/1 pint water and warm to a tepid temperature to dissolve the sugar. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Add the red onion, cover with cling film and leave in the fridge overnight.
Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½.
Warm the olive oil in a lidded casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the butter and allow to foam. Season the lamb liberally all over and add to the pan, sealing each side until it’s caramelised all over.
Remove the lamb and set aside. Add the garlic cloves and half lemons to the casserole dish and allow to caramelise. Add the herbs and cook for a further 2 minutes. Drain off the butter and add the white wine. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer.
Return the shoulder of lamb to the casserole dish. Season with salt, put the lid on and place in the oven for 4 hours, basting regularly, adding a little water if needed so the pan never dries out.
Remove the red onions from the cold pickle and place in bowl. Add the chillies, spring onions, chopped coriander and sliced basil and stir together to make a salsa.
When the lamb’s cooking time is up, increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 to crisp up the skin. Allow the lamb to cool and pull apart with two forks.
Preheat the grill to the highest setting.
Drizzle the olive oil over the sourdough slices and chargrill to nice and golden brown, take off and rub with a fresh garlic clove
Add the tomatoes to the salsa and stir well. Add a squeeze of lime and lemon juice and season.
In a bowl, mix together the yoghurt, chopped mint, verbena, lime zest and juice to your taste.
Spread the salsa over the toast and top with the lamb.
Recipe Tips
Tips: If you want a milder chilli, place the green chillies in one and the red chilli in the other and blanch for 30 seconds. Plunge the chillis into ice cold water. Repeat three times. This takes out the hotness from the chillies to a more milder chilli.
