Lamb shoulder with purple sprouting broccoli
A really easy one-pot recipe. Don't be tempted to skip the anchovies - they impart a wonderful savoury flavour to the lamb.
Ingredients
For the lamb shoulder
- 1 x 1.5kg/3lb 5oz lamb shoulder, boned by the butcher, not rolled and tied
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, peeled
- 8 anchovy fillets in oil
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 50g/1¾oz pitted black olives, preferably Taggiasche
- 250ml/9fl oz white wine
For the purple sprouting broccoli
- 500g/1lb 2oz purple sprouting broccoli, tough stems removed
- 2 tbsp good-quality extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Method
For the shoulder of lamb, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Trim any excess fat from the lamb shoulder. Heat a flameproof casserole and add the oil. Add the lamb shoulder and fry over a high heat to brown it on all sides. Take it out of the pan and pour off any excess fat.
Add the garlic cloves, anchovies, rosemary, olives and white wine to the casserole and set the shoulder on top. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and place in the oven to cook for 1–1½ hours, or until the meat is very tender.
Occasionally baste the meat with the juices. Remove the lid and cook the lamb uncovered for the last 10 minutes, to reduce the cooking juices by about half.
For the purple sprouting broccoli, towards the end of the lamb cooking time, cook the broccoli in a pan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain and dress with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Serve the shoulder of lamb in slices with its cooking juices and the broccoli.