Lamb in the Wood Oven
This recipe is an indulgence that will elevate any celebration. We use the forequarter, which is the complete neck, shoulder and rib. If you don’t have access to a wood-fired oven, a conventional oven will also do the trick.
Ingredients 12
1 lamb forequarter, approx. 2½–3 kg (5 1/2-6 lb 10 oz) each
extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling and rubbing
salt, to season
3 onions, quartered
3 fennel bulbs, quartered, 1 bunch tops and fronds reserved
1 garlic bulb, smashed
500 ml water
Handful rosemary sprigs
Handful thyme sprigs
Handful flat-leaf parsley (italian parsley)
3 bay leaves
To Serve
Salt
Lemon halves
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Method 10
The day before you wish to cook the , rub the whole forequarter all over with a splash of olive oil and season with plenty of salt. Refrigerate for a minimum of 10 hours.
Preheat an outdoor pizza oven (or conventional oven, if using) to 220°C (430°F).
Arrange the , and on a roasting tray large enough to accommodate the . Pat the lamb dry with paper towel and arrange on top of the vegetables.
Add to the roasting tray and place in the oven. There should be enough heat initially to caramelise the skin of the lamb – this should take around 20 minutes.
Open the flue to reduce the heat of the oven to 180°C (360°F).
Continue to cook the for 3–4 hours, rotating in the oven occasionally and checking that the vegetables are not burning. If the meat is getting a bit too dark, rest a few pieces of foil over the lamb to stop it from colouring and burning.
After about 3 hours, check the by gently tugging on one of the shanks. If the bone comes away easily it is ready.
Arrange the , , , , and over and around the and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover with foil and set aside to rest for an hour (this will allow the flavour of the herbs to infuse the meat).
To serve, discard any hard herbs and cut the into large pieces (the meat should easily come apart). Arrange on a platter. Carefully remove the vegetables from the baking tray and arrange around the roast lamb. Serve with extra salt and plenty of lemon halves.
