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Phil Wood’s lamb with roast-apple chutney

With a bit of time and love, this slow lamb roast will be the star of the dinner table.
Lamb with roast-apple chutneyMark Roper
6 - 8
20M
4H 30M
4H 50M

“Lamb shoulder is one of the best parts of the beast,” says Phil Wood, executive chef at Mornington Peninsula’s Laura. “Marinating it overnight in a salted herb purée just helps to highlight how good it is. After a slow roast the meat will be wonderfully tender and fork away from the bone; mix it with the juice in the bottom of the pan and top with a herb salad and you’ll definitely have a winner. The apple chutney really helps cut through the richness of the lamb.” Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the lamb.

Ingredients

Roast-apple chutney

Method

1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Wrap garlic tightly in foil and roast until soft (25-30 minutes). Meanwhile, dry-roast cumin until fragrant (20-40 seconds), then finely crush with a mortar and pestle. Squeeze garlic from skin into a food processor, add mint, parsley, rosemary, oil, salt and cumin and process to a paste.
2.Place the lamb shoulder in a non-reactive container, rub the paste all over lamb and refrigerate, turning occasionally, to marinate (overnight).
3.Preheat oven to 200°C. Place lamb in a roasting tray, add tomato and wine around and over lamb. Cover tightly with foil, place in oven, reduce oven to 170°C and roast until lamb easily falls away from the bone (4-4½ hours). Keep warm.
4.Meanwhile, for roast-apple chutney, roast apples on an oven tray until just starting to break down (25-30 minutes). Cool, then coarsely chop, discarding cores. Heat oil in a wide saucepan over mediumhigh heat, add ginger, shallot and garlic and fry, stirring occasionally, until starting to soften (3-4 minutes). Add spices and cook until fragrant (2-3 minutes), then add sugar and stir occasionally until sugar starts to caramelise (2-4 minutes). Add vinegar and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened (2-4 minutes). Stir apple through to coat. Chutney will keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 2-3 weeks. It can be served hot or cold. Makes about 3 cups.
5.Remove bones from lamb, coarsely shred meat with two forks, spoon over pan juices and serve with mixed herbs, extra parsley and chutney.

Korean chilli flakes are available from Asian supermarkets.

Drink suggestion: A cabernet sauvignon, such as Crawford River Cabernet Sauvignon (museum release) from Henty. Drink suggestion by Andrew Murch.

Notes

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