Rolled lamb shoulder with sherry, orange, cinnamon and chestnuts
This decadent rolled lamb shoulder is the perfect alternative to turkey at Christmas. The low and slow cooking method creates a wonderful gravy and with all the flavours of Christmas.
Ingredients
- 1kg/2lb 4oz lamb shoulder, boneless and rolled
- 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and sliced into 8 wedges
- 1 large red onion, finely sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 150g/5½oz peeled and cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 rosemary sprig
- 1 sage sprig
- 1 orange, cut into quarters
- 230ml/8¼fl oz dry sherry
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan/Gas 2½.
Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper.
Place the fennel, onion, garlic, cinnamon, chestnuts, rosemary and sage in a large casserole and season with salt and pepper.
Place the lamb on top and wedge the orange quarters around the sides. Pour over 200ml/7fl oz sherry then lay a piece of baking paper over the top, tucking down the sides.
Cover with a tightly fitting lid and cook for 3 hours.
Turn up the heat to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 4. Remove the lid and baking paper and cook for a further 30 minutes to brown the top. If the bottom of the pan looks a little dry, add a splash of just-boiled water.
Remove from the oven and leave to rest in the casserole for 10 minutes.
Remove the meat from the casserole and stir the remaining sherry into the pan.
Remove any string from the lamb and carve into thick slices.
Serve the lamb on four warmed plates with a spoonful of the vegetables, an orange quarter and plenty of hot gravy from the pan.