I cannot tell you where this recipe came from as it was shared with me many years ago. I have modified it slightly but I can tell you it tastes just as good today as it ever did! The port does not taste overly sweet, it simply balances the lamb and other flavours, creating a dish where you will want to mop up the sauce with some bread!!!
Hints & Tips
- I used leg of lamb. You can use lamb shoulder – you will need to add on an extra 1hr of cooking time in the oven.
- The port you use does not need to be expensive!
- Category: Baking & Roasting, Lamb, Main Course
Ingredients
Marinade
- 2 1/2 kilograms Leg of Lamb, Boned, Cut into Large Pieces
- 500 milliliters Port
- 2 Shallots, Thinly Sliced
- 10 Garlic Cloves, Thinly Sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
- 2 Branches Thyme
- 4 Bay Leaves
Cooking Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- 60 grams Butter
- 1 teaspoon Sugar
- 15 Shallots, Peeled, Halved If Large
- 3 Cinnamon Sticks
- 500 milliliters Port
- 50 grams Butter
- 3 tablespoons Plain Flour
Instructions
3-4 Days Before Cooking
- Trim excess fat from lamb. Score a diamond pattern through remaining fat to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat.
- Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl.
- Bathe the lamb pieces in the marinade and cover for 3-4 days in the fridge.
- Each day, remove the lamb from the fridge and turn over the pieces so all are bathed in marinade.
On Day of Serving
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
- Heat olive oil in a frying pan.
- Remove lamb pieces from marinade, pat dry with a paper towel and fry until brown on all sides. Set aside.
- Fry the shallots in the same pan with 60g of butter and sugar until caramelised. Set aside.
- Add marinade ingredients, cinnamon sticks and extra 500ml of port into a pan and bring to a boil. Add sultanas and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Place the onions in the base of a deep cast iron pot.
- Layer the lamb pieces on top.
- Pour over the port marinade.
- Cover the pot with a layer of baking paper, a layer of foil and then the lid.
- Bake in the oven for 2hrs.
- Mix the butter and flour together to create a paste.
- Remove the lamb from the oven and extract one cup of juices. Mix the juice with the paste until a thick liquid forms. Stir this back into the pot.
- Replace the lid and lamb back in the oven to cook for a further 30 minutes so the sauce thickens.
- Serve pieces of lamb with the thick sauce over the top.
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