With Christmas just around the corner, now is the time to hone your roasting skills in preparation for the big day. And what better way to do it than with a comforting, hearty slow roast shoulder of  lamb? Packed full of flavour, this simple roast can be whacked in the oven then forgotten about while you enjoy chillaxing on a cold winter’s afternoon…bliss!

Everyone knows that lamb and mint go hand in hand like peas in a pod. Less known is the combination of lamb, mint and capers. The sharp, saltiness of capers paired with the freshness of mint is exuberantly brilliant with lamb. The combo of capers and mint cuts through the fatty richness of the lamb – keeping your tongue wagging in approval for more…and more!

Ingredients (Serves 4-6)

• 2kg shoulder of good quality British lamb
• 2 onions, skin left on and quartered
• 6-8 cloves of garlic
• small bunch of rosemary, cut into sprigs
• 4-6 bay leaves
• large glass of red wine

For the sauce:

• 1 pint good chicken stock
• 2-3 tbsp small capers (in vinegar), roughly chopped
• 2 large handfuls of mint, finely chopped
• small splash of red wine or sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp cranberry jelly or ½ tsp sugar
• large knob of cold butter

Heat the oven to full whack. Peel a few garlic cloves and slice into thin strips. Then using a sharp knife piece the shoulder of lamb all over. Push a piece of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into all the slits made by the knife. Rub a little olive oil all over the lamb, season liberally with salt & pepper.

Put the quartered onion, bay leaves, the rest of the rosemary and the remaining unpeeled garlic in a large baking tray. Place the lamb on top then put in the oven for 30 minutes.

After which, remove the lamb and lower the oven to 160°C. Add the wine to the baking tray, wrap the tray tightly with foil then place back in the oven for 2.5 to 3 hours. For the last 20 minutes turn the oven up to full and remove the foil to crisp up the skin. When cooked the lamb should be falling off the bone.

Remove the lamb from the tray, cover loosely with foil and leave to one side.

To make the sauce, drain off the fat, put the baking tray over a medium heat on the hob. Squash the garlic cloves, add the stock and stir to deglaze all the burnt sticky goodness stuck to the pan.

Reduce by half then pass through a sieve to remove all the large parts. Return the sauce to the hob. Over a medium heat stir in the butter, add the capers, mint, vinegar and sugar. Season to taste with salt & pepper (If it tastes a little bitter add a touch more cranberry jelly or sugar). The sauce should be slightly tangy which helps to cut through the richness of the lamb.

Roughly slice or tear the meat apart. Place on warm plates, serve with roast potatoes and of course a side of carrots and peas, all brought together with lashings of meaty, fragrant, punchy sauce. Enjoy with a large glass of rich Roja.