One of my favourite dishes to serve to a large group is an entire leg of lamb, butterflied open and spread with a mixture of herbs, garlic and oil, roasted in the oven until tender and served with fresh green vegetables. A paste of warming spices such as cumin, coriander and cinnamon can be rubbed into the meat.
The perfect accompaniments to that Middle Eastern-style lamb would be pistachio and pomegranate couscous, a simple carrot salad and flatbreads. Pile the shredded meat on to a large serving platter and serve with a yoghurt dressing. For the dressing simply stir a crushed garlic clove with finely shredded mint and a squeeze of lemon juice into creamy Greek yoghurt, and drizzle over the lamb.
But before I get ahead of myself and start planning festive feasts, I must focus on midweek dinners. Luckily, lamb is not just for special occasions or get-togethers; lamb shanks are the perfect cut, and are still quite economical, even though they have enjoyed some popularity recently. Slow-cooked lamb shanks are a minimum-effort, maximum-impact recipe that is worth keeping.
I like to place all the ingredients into a tray with the shanks and marinate overnight in the fridge. The next day I simply place the entire tray in the oven for a little over two hours, or in the slow cooker. There’s no stirring or fussing needed, as the marinade does all the work, tenderising and flavouring the meat overnight.
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November is one of those in-between months. We’re done with pumpkins but they’re still seasonal and plentiful; this recipe is delicious served with roasted wedges of pumpkin that can be mashed down into the gravy or served as a side dish. Pure comfort food.
Lilly’s kitchen tips
- Any leftover gravy, meat and mashed potato can be used to create an amazing shepherd’s pie.
- Wash the lemon well before zesting. Slice the zested lemon and freeze flat on parchment paper. Once frozen, tip the slices into a sealable bag for the perfect garnish for drinks over the festive season.
- Roll the garlic on a chopping board or pop into a lidded jar and shake to remove the skin.
