Greek Style Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Serves 6–8

Bright lemon, garlic and oregano bring freshness to this beautifully slow-roasted Amelia Park Lamb Shoulder. Cooked low and slow until meltingly tender with those covetable crisp golden edges, the lamb rests over sweet roasted onion and fennel, which soaks up every bit of flavour as it cooks. Rustic, generous and made for sharing, it’s the kind of centrepiece dish that feels equally at home at a long Sunday lunch or family dinner or gathered around the table with warm flatbreads and plenty of juices for spooning.

20 minutes

4½–5½ hours

Dietaries: Dairy free

INGREDIENTS

Lamb shoulder

1.5–2kg Amelia Park Lamb Shoulder

Greek marinade

Zest and juice of 2 lemons
8 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp sweet paprika
¼ cup olive oil

Roasting base

2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
1 fennel bulb, sliced into wedges
3 bay leaves (optional)
5 sprigs thyme (optional)
1 cup chicken stock

To serve

Leafy salad
Crusty bread or warm flatbreads
Extra lemon wedges

Method

TO MAKE

Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Arrange the onion and fennel wedges across the base of a large roasting tray. Scatter over the bay leaves and thyme, if using.
Place all marinade ingredients into a small blender and blend until combined. Alternatively, finely crush the garlic and whisk the marinade ingredients together by hand.
Place the lamb shoulder on top of the vegetables, skin side facing up. Pour the marinade over the lamb, ensuring the surface is generously coated.
Pour the chicken stock carefully around the outside of the lamb, avoiding the top so the marinade remains intact.
Cover the lamb first with a sheet of baking paper, then seal tightly with two layers of foil, folding firmly around the tray to trap in the moisture and flavour.
Slow roast for 4–5 hours, or until the lamb pulls apart easily with a fork.
For crisp golden edges, remove the foil and baking paper and return the lamb to the oven uncovered at 200°C for a further 20–30 minutes (or until browned to your liking)
Allow the lamb to rest briefly (10-15 ins) before serving.
Serve spooned generously with the roasting juices alongside a leafy salad and crusty bread, or pile the pulled lamb into warm souvlaki-style wraps with your favourite accompaniments. Leftovers are equally delicious tucked into warm rolls the next day.

COOKS NOTES

Marinate ahead if you can
Even an extra few hours in the fridge helps the lemon, garlic and oregano really soak into the lamb.

Protect the top while roasting
Keeping the tray tightly covered for most of the cook ensures the lamb stays tender before crisping at the end.

Crisp edges make the dish
That final uncovered roast at a higher temperature gives you those golden, caramelised bits everyone fights over.

Let the lamb rest before pulling
Resting for 10–15 minutes helps the juices settle back into the meat and keeps everything succulent.

Leftovers are incredibly versatile
The pulled lamb works beautifully the next day in wraps, grain bowls, toasted sandwiches or scattered over roasted vegetables.