Name: Sean McConnell’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pistachios, pomegranate and vine leaves
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 495 min
Total time: 535 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 3 tbsp each cumin seeds and coriander seeds; 1 tbsp fennel seeds; 1 cinnamon quill; 25 gm ginger; 4 garlic cloves; 125 ml (½ cup) olive oil; 60 ml (¼ cup) pomegranate molasses; Finely grated rind of 2 lemons; 1 lamb shoulder on the bone (2.4kg); 500 ml red wine; 80 ml (1/3 cup) pomegranate molasses; 500 gm labne; To serve: pomegranate seeds and crushed roasted pistachio kernels; Crisp brik pastry; 8 sheets brik pastry; 100 ml clarified butter; Crisp vine leaves; 6 vine leaves in brine; For brushing: olive oil

Sean McConnell’s slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pistachios, pomegranate and vine leaves

Recipe for slow-roasted lamb shoulder with pistachios, pomegranate and vine leaves by Sean McConnell from Monster in Canberra.

Serves 6

Prep

40M

Cook

8H 15M

Total

8H 55M

“By far our most popular dish at Monster, this is in fact loosely based on a dish I had in Istanbul years ago at a restaurant called Antiochia, in Beyolu,” says McConnell. “Antiochia specialises in regional cuisine from Antakya, in the Hatay region of Turkey. The meat was delicately spiced, perfectly cooked over coals, and served simply with a dollop of labne, pomegranate seeds, pistachios and crisp flatbread, cooked over coals. At Monster, we’ve added crisp vine leaves and substituted the flatbread with brik pastry.” Begin this recipe a day ahead to marinate the lamb.

Ingredients

3 tbsp each cumin seeds and coriander seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 cinnamon quill

25 gm ginger

4 garlic cloves

125 ml (½ cup) olive oil

60 ml (¼ cup) pomegranate molasses

Finely grated rind of 2 lemons

1 lamb shoulder on the bone (2.4kg)

500 ml red wine

80 ml (1/3 cup) pomegranate molasses

500 gm labne

To serve: pomegranate seeds and crushed roasted pistachio kernels

Crisp brik pastry

8 sheets brik pastry

100 ml clarified butter

Crisp vine leaves

6 vine leaves in brine

For brushing: olive oil

Method

Main

1.Dry-roast spices in a frying pan over low heat until fragrant, then grind in a spice blender or finely crush with a mortar and pestle while still warm and place in a bowl. Grate ginger and garlic on a microplane straight into the spice mixture, then add olive oil, molasses and lemon rind. Score fat side of the lamb and season with 2 tsp sea salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, then rub spice mixture into meat (2 minutes). Cover and refrigerate overnight.

2.For brik pastry, preheat oven to 180C. Brush a sheet of pastry with clarified butter, top with another sheet of pastry and repeat, finishing with butter. Place between 2 baking trays and bake until golden brown (10-12 minutes). Leave to cool, then break into rough pieces.

3.For vine leaves, reduce oven to 160C. Soak leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to remove excess salt, then place flat on paper towels. Cover with another layer of paper towels, pat to remove excess moisture, then brush both sides of each leaf with oil and place flat on a baking tray. Cover with another baking tray and bake until dry and crisp (10-12 minutes). Set aside.

4.Preheat oven to 100C. Place marinated lamb in a roasting pan, add 500ml water to pan, cover with baking paper then foil and roast until meat is falling from the bone (about 7 hours). Remove foil and paper, increase oven to 180C and roast until browned (40-45 minutes). Remove lamb from pan (reserve pan juices), rest for 30 minutes, then break into large pieces. Keep warm or if preparing ahead, cover and refrigerate.

5.Pour pan juices into a saucepan, add wine and pomegranate molasses, bring to the boil and cook until reduced to a jus consistency (10-12 minutes). Preheat oven to 200C. Place lamb and jus in an ovenproof pan, bring to the boil, then bake in oven until liquid reduces slightly and lamb begins to caramelise (10-15 minutes). Dollop labne into a bowl, top with lamb, then pour jus over. Scatter with pomegranate seeds and pistachios, top with vine leaves and shards of brik pastry and serve.