Roasted Shoulder of Lamb served with Garlic & Thyme Roast Potatoes

Roasted Shoulder of Lamb served with Garlic & Thyme Roast Potatoes
(Serves 4)

A traditional Sunday Roast, given a Greek twist with honey and oregano...

Ingredients: 1.2kg Shoulder of Lamb (Trimmed)
                           1 Bunch Thyme
                           5 Sprigs Rosemary
                           1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano
                           1 Bulb of Garlic (Peeled)
                           1 Tablespoon Honey
                           125ml Water
                           700g Potatoes (Peeled & Quartered)
                           70ml Vegetable Oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

2. With the tip of a sharp knife, score the layer of skin and fat to give a cross-hatching effect on the top of the shoulder.

3. Using half of the garlic bulb, push the cloves evenly into the skin of the shoulder and make a rub using the thyme, rosemary, oregano, salt and ground black pepper.

4. Using a handful of the rub, rub over the shoulder of lamb. Place the shoulder into a casserole pan, using another handful of rub to spread over the bottom of the pan.

5. Drizzle the honey over the top of the lamb, before adding 30ml of vegetable oil. Pour the water into the casserole pan and cook in the oven for 2-3 hours until the meat pulls away easily from the bone. Check after one hour, to assure that not all the water has evaporated, if it has add a similar quantity for the remainder of cooking time.

6. For the roast potatoes, part-boil the potatoes for 15 minutes in a large saucepan. Meanwhile, pour the remaining vegetable oil into a roasting tray, before transferring to the oven. Once the oil is starting to smoke, add the potatoes, thyme and the remaining garlic cloves and roast for 35-40 minutes. Until the potatoes are golden brown on the outside and soft and fluffy in the middle.

7. Allow the lamb to rest for 5 minutes before carving and then serve immediately.