Roast Oyster Shoulder of Lamb
Prep time
15 minsCook time
3 hrResting Time
30 minsTotal time
3 H & 45 MSlow roasted until it's so tender you can almost pull it apart, oyster shoulder is one of the most underrated cuts of lamb. The onions roast underneath the lamb, soaking up all those flavours and becoming the perfect base for a rich lamb gravy.
To complete the dish, have a look for my Lamb Gravy recipe in the recipe section of this website. I created it to go with this roast, but it's just as good with a leg of lamb, rack of lamb or any of your favourite roast lamb cuts.
Ingredients
Method
- Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
- Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over the base of a roasting dish. Season lightly with salt and sprinkle over a little of the Moroccan Seasoning.
- Arrange the onion slices in a single layer to form a trivet. Scatter over the orange zest, drizzle with the remaining olive oil, season with salt and sprinkle over the remaining Moroccan Seasoning.
- Rub the lamb all over with the remaining olive oil. Season both sides generously with salt, then coat both sides with the remaining Gault's Moroccan Seasoning.
- Place the lamb fat side up on top of the onions.
- Roast uncovered for approximately 2½ to 3 hours, or until the thickest part reaches an internal temperature of 92 to 95°C (198 to 203°F).
- Transfer the lamb onto a cake rack sitting over a plate and leave to rest uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes.
- Transfer the roasted onions to the Rich Lamb Gravy.
- Pull the lamb away from the bone, then slice or break it into serving-sized pieces. Serve with Rich Lamb Gravy.
Simon Says
- Cook to temperature, not time. - Every oyster shoulder is a different size. A meat thermometer takes the guesswork out. Once it reaches 92 to 95°C (198 to 203°F), it'll be tender and still hold its shape when sliced.
- Why I don't deglaze the roasting tray. - People often ask why I don't scrape all the juices out of the roasting tray. The answer is simple. When I roast oyster shoulder slowly at 160°C (320°F), what's left in the tray is mostly rendered lamb fat. I'd rather leave that behind and build the gravy with the roasted onions, red wine and Gault's Lamb Stock Concentrate instead. It gives a cleaner, richer tasting gravy.
- Don't rush the resting. - Give the lamb 20 to 30 minutes to rest before carving. The juices settle back through the meat, making it easier to slice. It'll be so tender you can almost pull it apart, but it'll still hold together nicely when you carve it.
- Don't waste the leftovers. - If you're lucky enough to have any left, slice it thinly for sandwiches, toss it through a salad or gently warm it for another meal. I often think this cut tastes just as good the next day.
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