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Meat, South and mountains

Slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin

Slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin is a braised dish for 4 people, ready in 3 hours and 30 minutes, rated easy, for about €5.20 per person. The meat cooks low and slow, covered, over a bed of potatoes that soak up its juices, then finishes uncovered to brown. The key is keeping the dish tightly covered during the long cook so steam turns the meat meltingly tender enough to pull apart with a spoon.

For the weekend, a lamb shoulder slow roasted with garlic and rosemary that falls apart with a spoon, served over tender potato gratin.

Slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin
Total time
3 h 30
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€5.20
Calories per person
600 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring

Slow roasted lamb shoulder rewards three hours of patience with meat so tender you won't need a knife. It pulls apart in soft chunks, infused with garlic and rosemary that have perfumed it throughout the cook. Underneath, the potato gratin soaks up the meat juices and broth, staying moist and never drying out.

This is the kind of Sunday dish you start early and then forget about while the oven does the work. It suits a family dinner or a gathering with guests, especially in winter or early spring when you want something warming. Once the shoulder and potatoes are in the dish, there's almost nothing left to do.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Lamb shoulder 1.6 kg

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes 1 kg
  • Onions 3
  • Garlic 1
  • Rosemary 4 sprigs

Pantry

  • Chicken broth 50 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Butter 30 g

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees, stud the shoulder with small slivers of garlic and rub it with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary.

    Make deep cuts with the tip of a knife.

  2. Peel the potatoes and slice them into rounds, slice the onions and toss them with salt and pepper.

    Slice them thin but not paper thin, they need to stay tender.

  3. Spread them in a large dish with the butter in small pieces and pour in the broth.

    The broth should come about halfway up the potatoes.

  4. Set the shoulder on top of the potatoes, cover with foil and put it in the oven. 3 h

    Cover it well, the steam is what makes the meat meltingly tender.

  5. Remove the foil, raise the oven to 200 degrees and let it brown. 20 min

    Baste the shoulder with its own juices halfway through.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a bone in shoulder, it holds onto its juices and flavor better over the three hour cook.
  • Check for doneness by piercing the meat with a fork, it should slide in without resistance when the lamb is ready.
  • If the top browns too fast once you remove the foil, lower the oven slightly instead of cutting the cooking time short.

The variations

  • Swap the rosemary for fresh thyme, the flavor is milder but works just as well with lamb.
  • For a faster version, use a smaller shoulder and cut the covered cooking time down to about two hours.
  • Add sliced carrots alongside the potatoes, they cook in the same juices and bring extra color to the dish.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with sharp vinaigrette
  • Steamed green beans
  • A light red wine from the south

Storage

The lamb and potatoes keep for 3 days in the fridge in a covered dish. This dish freezes well, meat and potatoes together, for up to 2 months. Reheat covered in a 150 degree oven so the meat stays moist.

Questions about this dish

Can you make the lamb shoulder ahead of time?

Yes, you can cook the shoulder the day before and reheat it covered in the oven. The flavor actually improves since the meat has more time to soak up the juices.

Can you replace the chicken broth with something else?

Vegetable broth works well if you don't have chicken broth on hand. Water with a bit of salt also works, though the flavor will be less pronounced.

Do you need to flip the shoulder during cooking?

No, it cooks sitting on top of the potatoes the whole time. Just baste it with its own juices halfway through so the top stays moist.

Does the potato variety matter for this dish?

Pick a variety that holds up to long cooking, like Yukon Gold or a similar waxy potato. Starchy potatoes tend to fall apart in the juices.

How long does it take to make a slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin?

Count 3 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin?

About 600 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a slow roasted lamb shoulder with potato gratin cost?

About €5.20 per serving, or €20.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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