There are special meals that make a house smile. It starts quietly, early in the day. The oven goes on, ingredients are gathered, nothing especially complicated. But as the hours pass, something begins to build. The scent fills the kitchen, then drifts further, and before long someone wanders in and says, “something smells great.”
It’s food that doesn’t rush. This is one of those dishes.
A slow-braised lamb shoulder, generous, deeply comforting, and made to be shared. This is a meal that invites a second glass, wonderful conversation, and the feeling that there’s nowhere else you need to be.
And if there’s ever a wine that understands this rhythm, it’s Pure Black. A wine that, like the dish itself, takes its time. It reveals itself slowly, layer by layer. Together, they don’t compete. They simply belong.
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic, olive oil, mustard, anchovy and lemon zest.
Season well with salt and pepper.
Rub the mixture generously over the lamb shoulder, working it into every fold. Place the lamb in a roasting dish, scatter over the rosemary, and pour the stock into the base.
Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven.
Then leave it.
Cook slowly for 4–5 hours, until the meat is tender enough to fall apart with the gentlest pull of a fork.
Remove the foil for the final 20–30 minutes to let the outside take on a little colour.
To Serve:
I love a good platter for this dish, something rustic and generous. I always finish it with a few sprigs of rosemary and place it in the centre of the table for everyone to help themselves.
No need to carve neatly. This is a dish that’s meant to be shared, pulled apart, passed around.
Decant your Pure Black an hour before and let it open slowly as the evening unfolds.
And let the evening unfold with it.
0 servings