Confit Organic Haye Farm Lamb Shoulder Recipe

Prep and seasoning

Pat the lamb shoulder dry with paper towel. Rub the meat all over with 1 tablespoon of the coarse sea salt and some freshly cracked black pepper. Place the smashed garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves in the bottom of a heavy, oven-safe pot or deep roasting pan.

Submerge in fat

Melt the lamb fat (or butter/neutral oil) in a saucepan until warm but not smoking. Put the lamb shoulder on top of the aromatics in the pot and pour the warm fat over the shoulder so it is almost fully submerged. If the fat does not fully cover the meat, add up to 200 ml water to help fill the vessel — the meat should be mostly covered.

Slow confit

Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F). Cover the pot tightly with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 4 to 5 hours, or until the lamb is fork-tender and the meat easily yields when pierced. Check once halfway through to ensure the fat hasn’t completely pooled away from the top; if needed, spoon hot fat over the exposed areas.

Cool and store

Remove the pot from the oven and let the lamb cool in the fat to room temperature (about 30–45 minutes). Transfer to the fridge still in fat if making ahead — this will firm the fat and keep the meat moist. Reserve 30 ml of the strained cooking fat for finishing and set aside. When ready to serve, remove lamb from fat and discard herbs, garlic and bay leaves.

Crisp finish (optional)

For a crisped exterior, preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) or heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the lamb lightly with reserved cooking fat and roast at high heat for 8–12 minutes until the outside is browned and caramelised, or sear in the hot skillet on all sides for 4–6 minutes, then finish in a 200°C oven 6–8 minutes. Rest the lamb 10 minutes before slicing.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the tenderstem broccoli for 1 to 2 minutes until bright green and just tender. Immediately transfer to an ice bath to stop cooking and preserve color. Drain and pat dry.

In a mixing bowl, toss the blanched broccoli with 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, the zest of 1 lemon and 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt. Keep warm or reheat briefly in a hot pan with a tablespoon of the reserved lamb fat (optional) to add savoury richness just before plating.

Place the anchovy fillets in a small bowl or mortar. Mash them with a fork (or pestle) until they form a smooth paste.

Add the finely minced shallots, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar and chopped capers to the anchovy paste. Whisk to combine.

Slowly drizzle in 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil while whisking until the dressing emulsifies. Stir in the finely chopped parsley. Taste and season with sea salt only if needed (anchovies are salty) and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Slice the rested lamb shoulder against the grain into thick slices or pull into large shreds depending on desired presentation. Arrange on warm plates.

Arrange tenderstem broccoli alongside the lamb. Drizzle the anchovy & shallot dressing over the lamb and a little over the broccoli. Finish with a small spoon of the reserved warm lamb fat drizzled over the meat for shine and extra flavour.

Garnish with micro herbs or parsley leaves and a final crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.