Roast shoulder of saffron lamb recipe

The chilli gives this traditional roast a bit of a kick, while the saffron adds colour.

Serves 6-8 Prep time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 3½ hours
Ingredients
• Pinch of saffron
• 3 thsp hot water
• 1 red chilli (halved and de-seeded)
• 50ml Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 oranges (grated zest and juice)
• 2 tsp thyme, fresh (finely chopped) or dried
• 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
• 2 boneless lamb shoulders (approximately 700g each)
• 4 shallots (finely chopped)
• 200ml water

Instructions
• Pre-heat the oven to 170°C, Gas mark 3 or 325°F.
• Soak the saffron in the hot water for 2 minutes. Mix the halved chilli, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, orange zest and juice, thyme, garlic and saffron water together in a bowl.
• Place the shoulders of lamb (laid out fiat) in a large roasting tray and pour the saffron mixture over them. Cover with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for approximately 3 hours. Baste with the juices every 20 minutes or so, adding the shallots to the tin after 2½ hours.
• After 3 hours, the lamb should have a wonderful dark glaze. Take out of the oven and place on a serving dish, covering the lamb with the foil to keep it warm. Pour out as much surplus fat from the roasting fray as possible without losing too much of the juice from the lamb.
• Add 200ml water to the leftover juice to form gravy and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon to mix in any tasty residue stuck to the base. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a saucepan and let the mixture simmer on a moderate heat so that it reduces in volume by half. It should be dark and rich in colour.
• Serve the shoulders of lamb with the sauce and any vegetable \of \choice. Roast squash is recommended as its vibrant colour contrasts nicely with the lamb.