Name: Phil Wood’s lamb with roast-apple chutney
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 290 min
Yield: 6 - 8
Ingredients: 2 heads of garlic; 1½ tbsp cumin seeds; 1 cup (firmly packed) mint; 1 cup (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve; ¼ cup (loosely packed) rosemary; 100 ml olive oil; 30 gm salt (or 1.5 per cent the weight of the lamb shoulder); 1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg), bone in; 800 gm canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 125 ml white wine; Mixed herbs, such as chervil and mint, to serve; Roast-apple chutney; 8 Granny Smith apples; 20 gm ginger (about 4cm); 2 large golden shallots, finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 tsp mild curry powder; 1 tsp mustard powder; 1 tsp Korean chilli flakes (optional; see note); 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp yellow mustard seeds; 80 gm caster sugar; 150 ml cider vinegar

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.

Serves 6 - 8

Prep

20M

Cook

4H 30M

Total

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

2 heads of garlic

1½ tbsp cumin seeds

1 cup (firmly packed) mint

1 cup (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve

¼ cup (loosely packed) rosemary

100 ml olive oil

30 gm salt (or 1.5 per cent the weight of the lamb shoulder)

1 lamb shoulder (about 2kg), bone in

800 gm canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped

125 ml white wine

Mixed herbs, such as chervil and mint, to serve

Roast-apple chutney

8 Granny Smith apples

20 gm ginger (about 4cm)

2 large golden shallots, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mild curry powder

1 tsp mustard powder

1 tsp Korean chilli flakes (optional; see note)

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp yellow mustard seeds

80 gm caster sugar

150 ml cider vinegar

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

Phil Wood

Styling by Lisa Featherby

Styling by Ariel Coop