Slow roast shoulder of spring lamb with wild garlic aioli and fresh mint chutney

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

2. Place the lamb shoulder in a wide roasting tin or oven tray with the skin side up. Score the skin to encourage the fat to run out during the cooking and to crisp up the skin. Season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Place in a roasting tin, transfer to the oven and roast for 30 minutes before turning the temperature down to 160°C/325F/Gas Mark 3 for a further 2 ½ to 3 hours or until the meat is soft and succulent and will lift off the bones.

3. Mix the crushed garlic  into the mayonnaise for the aioli. Finally add the chopped parsley and wild garlic. Taste for seasoning and correct if necessary.

4. Next make the fresh mint chutney. Whizz all the ingredients in a food processor, season with salt and a little cayenne pepper. Cover and keep cool.

5. To test if the lamb is cooked to a melting tenderness, pull the shank bone and it and some of the meat should come away easily from the bone.

6. When the lamb is cooked, remove from the oven. There will be plenty of fatty cooking juices. Strain these through a sieve into a bowl. Keep the lamb warm in the oven with the temperature reduced to 100°C/200°F/Gas Mark ¼.

7. When the fat has risen to the surface of the lamb cooking juices, skim carefully and thoroughly with a spoon.

8. Thin out the garlic mayonnaise with 4-6 tablespoons of the degreased juice to achieve a consistency similar to softly whipped cream or in other words the mayonnaise should now just lightly coat the back of a spoon. Taste and correct the seasoning.

9. Bring the remaining juices to a simmer and taste and correct seasoning.

10. To serve the lamb, a tongs or serving fork and spoon are the best implements to remove the meat from the bones. Prise largish pieces off the bones and serve on hot plates with some of the hot cooking juices, aoili and the chutney drizzled over the top…