Slow Cooked Spring Lamb with Mint, Mustard and Caper Salsa

Lamb is one of the joys of spring, and as the days become brighter, we could think of no better way to spend a Sunday than surrounded by our best friends, a glass of wine, and a spring feast of lamb with our mint, mustard and caper sauce.

At Hakuna, we are careful about the amount of meat we eat. We buy the best we can afford from a local butcher. Although we should mention that our favourite meat supplier in London is HG Walter, they take so much care and pride over their produce and it shows.  We buy organic, grass fed where possible, and make sure very little goes to waste. We make stock out of the bones and if, on the odd occasion, there are any leftovers, we use them up in soups, pastas and salads. 

This recipe, is one of our very favourite spring lamb recipes, and it’s perfect for an Easter Sunday feast. Alongside the lamb, mint and caper salsa, we serve roasted butternut squash infused with garlic and thyme, and a fresh raw salad of fennel, peas and baby courgettes dressed with dill flowers and a lemon and honey vinaigrette. 

Slow Cooked Spring Lamb with Mint, Mustard and Caper Sauce

Serves: 6-8

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 6 hours

INGREDIENTS

Lamb:

1 shoulder of lamb, bone in

2 tbsp rapeseed oil 

Large bunches of mixed herbs such as rosemary, sage, thyme, bay

2 garlic bulbs

1 glass white wine

Mint and Caper Salsa:

50g fresh mint leaves

2 tbsp capers

2 garlic cloves

4 tbsp Dijon mustard

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp sugar, we use coconut 

METHOD

1. Start by preheating the oven to 200°C and line a large roasting tray with baking parchment. Place the shoulder of lamb on top of the baking parchment and rub all over with the oil. Season generously with salt and pepper and place it in the hot oven for 35–40 minutes, until the lamb takes on some colour. 
2. Remove the lamb from the oven and add the whole herbs, the halved garlic bulbs and the white wine. Cover the meat with more baking parchment and then wrap the whole tray with foil, making sure it is tight around the edges to keep in the steam.
3. Turn down the heat to 120°C and place the lamb back in the oven to cook for 6 hours.
4. Meanwhile, make the mint, caper mustard sauce, by blitzing all the ingredients in a nutribullet, blender or a food processor if you don't have a blender. It wont be as smooth but will still be very delicious. Make sure to add lots of pepper, and ensure the sauce is well balanced with citrus, salt, sweetness and freshness. 
5. Once the lamb has been cooking for 6 hours, and your house smells delicious, remove the tray from the oven and leave the meat to stand for 20–25 minutes. Remove the foil and baking parchment and pull the meat off the bone using two forks. Arrange on a platter alongside the mint, mustard and caper sauce. Enjoy!