This Christmas lamb recipe is a whole bone-in shoulder rubbed with garlic, rosemary, cumin and pomegranate molasses, then slow-roasted on red onions for over 4 hours. It’s tender enough to pull apart with a fork and serves 8.
I chose shoulder over leg for Christmas Day because it’s so forgiving. Mary Berry explains that shoulder is quite fatty, and that fat is what makes it sweet and succulent once it’s cooked long and low.
The step that makes it work is the oven change. A hot start browns the outside, then a low oven under foil gives the fat hours to melt slowly through the meat, so don’t be tempted to rush it.
Christmas Lamb Recipes
Course: Dinner, MainCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy8
servings20
minutes4
hours50
minutes605
kcal5
hours10
minutesOur own Christmas Day centrepiece for anyone who’d rather skip the turkey. It mostly looks after itself in the oven, which leaves your hob free for everything else.
Ingredients
- For the lamb:
2.2kg (5lb) whole bone-in shoulder of lamb
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus 2 tbsp for glazing
salt and freshly ground black pepper
- For the tin:
2 red onions, thickly sliced
150ml (5fl oz) red wine
300ml (10fl oz) chicken stock
- For the gravy:
1 tbsp plain flour
extra stock or water, if needed
- To serve:
seeds of 1 pomegranate
a small bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked
Directions
- Rub: Make small cuts all over the top of the lamb with a sharp knife. Mix the garlic, rosemary, cumin, coriander, oil and 3 tbsp molasses with plenty of salt and pepper, then rub it all over, pushing it into the cuts. Chill overnight if you have time.
- Prepare the tin: Heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7. Scatter the onions in a large roasting tin, pour in the wine and stock, and sit the lamb on top.
- Brown: Roast for 30 minutes until the outside is browned.
- Slow-roast: Lower the oven to 160°C/140°C fan/Gas 3. Cover the tin tightly with foil and roast for 4 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
- Glaze: Remove the foil, brush the lamb with the remaining 2 tbsp molasses and roast uncovered for 20 minutes more.
- Rest: Lift the lamb on to a board, cover loosely with foil and rest for 20 minutes.
- Make the gravy: Pour the juices into a jug and leave for 5 minutes, then spoon off the fat. Whisk 1 tbsp of the fat with the flour in the tin over a medium heat, then whisk in the skimmed juices and onions. Simmer until thickened, adding a splash of stock if it’s too thick.
- Serve: Pull the lamb into large pieces with two forks and scatter with the pomegranate seeds and mint. Serve the gravy alongside.
FAQs
Why use shoulder instead of leg of lamb?
They need completely different cooking. Berry’s Foolproof Cooking explains that leg suits a fast roast, starting very hot then dropping to around 180°C, while fattier shoulder suits hours at a low temperature.
For Christmas, I think shoulder wins easily. Leg has a short window between pink and overcooked, but shoulder sits happily in a low oven while you deal with the potatoes, the sprouts and the guests.
Can I get it ready the day before?
Yes, and I’d recommend it. Step 1 is the only real prep, so rub the lamb on Christmas Eve, cover it and leave it in the fridge overnight, which also gives the garlic and molasses time to soak in.
Take it out of the fridge about an hour before it goes in the oven. A joint this size cooks more evenly when it isn’t fridge-cold in the middle.
How do I carve a shoulder of lamb?
The bone sits at an awkward angle, which is why shoulder has a reputation for being hard to carve. Berry’s tip in Mary Berry Cooks the Perfect is to ask your butcher to remove the blade bone and tie the joint with string.
With this recipe you can skip carving altogether. After 4 hours the meat pulls away with two forks, and pulling it into big rough pieces looks far more generous on the table anyway.
How long should the lamb rest?
Berry rests her slow-roast shoulder for 15 to 20 minutes, loosely covered with foil. That’s exactly the time you need to make the gravy in step 7, so nothing sits waiting.
Resting lets the juices settle back into the meat instead of running out on to the board. Loose foil keeps it warm without steaming the glazed outside soft.
How do I get the fat out of the gravy?
Shoulder releases a lot of fat, and it’ll make the gravy greasy if it goes straight in. Berry pours the juices into a jug and waits about 5 minutes, until the fat floats to the top, then scoops it off with a spoon.
Keep a spoonful of that fat for the flour in step 7, because it gives the gravy its flavour. The rest can go into a jar for roasting potatoes on Boxing Day.
What should I serve with Christmas lamb?
Berry pairs her slow-roast shoulder with a quick fresh mint sauce: chopped mint mixed with 2 tbsp clear honey and 2 tbsp white wine or cider vinegar. With the pomegranate here, I’d use honey so the sharpness stays bright.
For the rest of the plate, Mary Berry’s roast potatoes are the obvious partner, and Jamie Oliver’s fennel gratin is lovely with lamb. Any leftovers make a brilliant Boxing Day sandwich with our cranberry and apple Christmas chutney.
