Slow-Cooked Pot Roast of Lamb

Serves: To serve 6

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 5 Hours

Ready In: 5 hrs 10 mins

Ingredients

3-4 lb - boned shoulder or leg of lamb

2 tablespoons - plain flour

1 tablespoon - butter

2 tablespoons - olive oil

  - salt and freshly-ground black pepper

5 cloves - garlic

1 medium-sized - onion

14oz can - crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon - rosemary

½ cup - water

  - seasonal vegetables

optional

14oz can - chickpeas

1 bunch - scallions (spring onions)

Directions

  1. Remove the meat from the refrigerator about one hour before cooking. This allows it to come to room temperature. Meanwhile, bruise the garlic (leaving the skin on, put each garlic clove on a chopping board and press down on it with the flat of a large knife until the clove cracks open). Finely chop the onion, and finely chop the rosemary (you can use ready prepared dried rosemary if you prefer). If you are adding chickpeas and scallions, drain and rinse the chickpeas, and wash and slice the scallions
  2. Season the meat with salt and freshly-ground black pepper, then rub all over with plain flour. In a large Dutch Oven (I use a Le Creuset) on the stovetop over a high heat, melt the butter and olive oil and sear the meat on all sides until well browned (this usually takes about 5-10 minutes). Remove the meat and set aside. Add the bruised garlic to the pot, along with the chopped onion, tomatoes, rosemary, and water. Stir and bring to the simmer. Return the meat to the pot and baste well with the sauce.
  3. Cover the pot and roast in a preheated moderately hot oven (Mk 5 - 375°F - 190°C) for one hour. After one hour, season again with salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Add a little more water if needed, then cover and return to the oven. Reduce the temperature to cool oven (Mk 3 - 300°F - 150°C) and roast for a further four hours, turning each hour and basting regularly. During the last hour, add your favourite vegetables such as potatoes or sweet potatoes, onions, carrots. If desired, during the final 15 minutes, add chickpeas and scallions.
  4. This slow-cooked roast should barely need carving. It should fall apart easily, drizzled with the juices from the pot.