This Hairy Bikers lamb shoulder from Meat Feasts marinates overnight in yoghurt, curry powder, garlic and ginger before slow roasting for up to four hours. And it serves six at around 550 calories with a coriander and lemon gravy made from the pan juices.
Si and Dave say “shoulder is quite a bit cheaper than leg” and that this is “a perfect family roast.” And their version takes a completely different direction from the Mediterranean shoulder on their website by going Indian-spiced with a yoghurt marinade instead.
The technique that changes everything is massaging the spiced yoghurt into every slit and leaving it overnight. Since the yoghurt tenderises the meat while the curry powder soaks in, you get spice all the way through rather than just on the surface.
Hairy Bikers Lamb Shoulder Recipe
Description
Si and Dave’s Indian-spiced lamb shoulder from Meat Feasts where yoghurt, curry powder, garlic and ginger are massaged in overnight before the whole joint slow roasts for four hours until falling off the bone. Allow time to marinate.
Ingredients
For the Lamb:
For the Gravy:
Instructions
- Make the marinade: Mix the olive oil, yoghurt, garlic, ginger and curry powder in a bowl, then season with salt. Cut small slits all over the lamb shoulder and put it in a large dish.
- Marinate overnight: Pour the yoghurt mixture over the lamb and massage it into the skin, the exposed flesh and into every slit. Cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for at least two to three hours, but overnight is best.
- Prepare for roasting: Remove the lamb from the fridge an hour before cooking so it comes to room temperature. Scrape off any excess marinade but leave anything that has dried onto the joint. Preheat the oven to 220°C/Fan 200°C/Gas 7.
- Roast: Arrange the sliced onions over the base of a large roasting tin and place the lamb on top. Pour in the white wine and chicken stock. Roast for 30 minutes at high heat until the crust has browned, then reduce the temperature to 150°C/Fan 130°C/Gas 2 and roast for up to four hours. Start checking after three hours, since the meat should be tender and close to falling off the bone when ready.
- Rest and make the gravy: Transfer the lamb to a board and cover with foil for at least 20 minutes. Put the roasting tin over a low heat and stir so every caramelised bit of meat and onion mixes into the cooking liquid. Pour in any resting juices from the lamb, then taste for seasoning. Stir in the chopped coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.
FAQs
Is this the same recipe as on the official Hairy Bikers website?
No, and the difference is worth knowing about. The official website has their Everyday Winners version which uses oregano, cinnamon, lemon slices, rosemary and bay with a caper and olive finish. That is a Mediterranean shoulder, while this Meat Feasts version is Indian-spiced with yoghurt, curry powder and ginger.
Si and Dave published both in separate books, so they are two genuinely different recipes for the same cut. If you want the Mediterranean version, it is free on hairybikers.com. But this yoghurt-marinated version from Meat Feasts is only in the cookbook and gives you a completely different flavour.
Can I make this in a slow cooker?
Sear the marinated lamb in a hot pan first to get the browned crust, then transfer it to the slow cooker with the onions, wine and stock. Cook on low for eight hours or high for five, since the slow cooker traps moisture the same way the oven does at low temperature.
The one thing you lose is the initial 30-minute blast at 220°C which crisps the outside. To get that back, finish the lamb under a hot grill for five minutes after the slow cook, watching it carefully so the yoghurt crust does not burn.
How is this different from the slow roast leg?
The slow roast leg of lamb uses anchovy, garlic and rosemary for an Italian-style flavour, while this shoulder uses yoghurt and curry powder for an Indian one. Shoulder also has more fat marbled through the meat, so it stays moist more easily and pulls apart rather than carving into neat slices.
Si and Dave say shoulder is cheaper than leg, and the overnight marinade here makes up for the difference in tenderness. Both cook at low temperatures for several hours, but the shoulder gives you pulled meat for flatbreads while the leg gives you a carved roast for a Sunday table.
What potatoes go with this?
Si and Dave suggest in the headnote to “try parboiling them with a pinch of turmeric and adding a sprinkling of nigella seeds when you put them in the roasting tin.” That gives you golden roast potatoes with a subtle warmth that matches the Indian spicing.
The dauphinoise potatoes also work here since the creamy layers balance the spiced lamb, but Si and Dave also say this shoulder is “great with rice or stuffed into some flatbreads” which gives you a lighter option than a full roast potato spread.
What else can I serve alongside this?
For a fresh contrast to the rich spiced lamb, the American layered salad works well since the buttermilk dressing cuts through the yoghurt-marinated meat. And the Waldorf salad adds crunch from the apples and walnuts that you do not get anywhere in the main dish.
If you like this spicing, the lamb tagine uses a similar warmth but as a stew rather than a roast. And making both for a big gathering means you get pulled shoulder and a saucy tagine on the same table.
