Lamb Shoulder Kleftiko

I think this Greek-style Lamb Shoulder Kleftiko recipe might be our all time favourite way to prepare lamb shoulder. Marinated bone-in lamb shoulder is cooked over a bed of waxy potatoes, peppers, red onions, lemon and garlic for a really amazing lamb-infused all-in-one meal I usually serve with thick greek yogurt and homemade flatbreads. Honestly, I think I actually like the lamb-and-garlic infused potatoes better than the lamb; no matter how many times I’ve tested and tweaked this, I still think they’re the best bit!

Leftovers also reheat really well for future flatbreads, so we tend to enjoy this just the two of us on a Sunday night, with the promise of a few lunchtime flatbreads through the week, simply heating up portions in the microwave as and when we need them.

What Makes This Lamb Kleftiko Different

Lamb kleftiko (a slow cooked lamb, potato and vegetable dish cooked wrapped in baking parchment) is traditionally made with a leg of lamb, but I came across Felicity Cloake’s recipe using lamb shoulder when I was searching for something to do with the one we had with the freezer (J’s requirements were that I cooked it Mediterranean-style, over vegetables and potatoes!) You’ll notice many of Felicity’s fingerprints in my recipe as honestly the first version of it I made was utterly amazing, and I just wanted to adapt it to suit the two of us (or four people without leftovers) rather than to feed a crowd, as well as to suit the size lamb shoulder I usually buy. I’ve also messed around with the amount of potatoes, garlic, and the cooking temperatures to make something that suits being cooked in a standard sized round 24cm lidded casserole. I tried to add more red peppers (usually never a bad thing), but strangely they made the dish less than it was, so I would not recommend you trying also!

Choosing Your Lamb Shoulder

I get my lamb shoulders from Field & Flower where I’m a brand ambassador, and I encourage you to do likewise as it is a great way to support sustainable British farming delivered right to your door (I was a loyal customer before I started working with them, and I probably will be for years to come!) They sell bone-in lamb shoulder in either 1.2kg (which I find is actually great when a recipe would usually call for a half lamb shoulder), and 2.4kg. I’ve used the 1.2kg here.

How To Make It

You want to cook the lamb on top of a trivet of vegetables (so they absorb all those delicious cooking juices!) so choose a lidded casserole dish big enough to fit both the veggies and lamb shoulder in. Add the shells of the lemon you add the juice for the veg too them as well, and a good splash of water. Push everything down with your hands so that you get an even layer. Keep the halved garlic bulbs under the lamb so they don’t burn around the edges.

Place the lamb on top before smothering it with the marinade. Then. add a piece of baking parchment tucked around the edges to keep the moisture in before baking for 4 hours.

The lamb will have shrunk off the bone and be really, really tender. First, remove the lid and paper and turn the oven up to give it a 10 minute blast so the edges can get nice and crisp. Then, set it aside to rest under a foil tent while you return the vegetables to the oven for a further 10 minutes to get their own amount of browning, and to concentrate what cooking juices remain at the bottom of the pot.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Lamb Shoulder Kleftiko

• Author: Rachel Phipps
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 hours 20 minutes
• Total Time: 4 hours 35 minutes
• Yield: Serves 4
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Slow Cooking
• Cuisine: Greek
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

This Greek-style recipe for Lamb Shoulder Kleftiko slow cooks marinated lamb shoulder until it is fall-apart tender on a bed of vegetables and potatoes so they absorb all the delicious cooking juices. Best served with thick Greek yogurt and flatbreads! 

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Ingredients

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For the Lamb Shoulder

• 1.2kg bone-in lamb shoulder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tbsp flaky sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• juice of 1 lemon

For the Kleftiko

• 2 large waxy potatoes
• 1 red onion
• 1 red pepper
• large handful cherry tomatoes
• 1 lemon
• 1 head garlic
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 200ml water

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Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
2. Cut the potatoes into large chunks and arrange in the bottom of a 24cm round casserole dish with the red onion (peeled and cut into wedges), pepper (deseeded and again, cut into wedges) and the cherry tomatoes. Squeeze the lemon juice over the top and add the empty lemon shells. Cut the garlic head around the equator and add that too, along with the bay leaf. Pour over the water.
3. Place the lamb shoulder on top of the vegetables. Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour it over the top, using your hands to rub it all over and into any crevices. 
4. Tuck a piece of baking parchment around the lamb before putting on the lid and slow cooking for 4 hours.
5. Remove the lid and the baking parchment, and turn the oven up to 220C. Return the lamb to brown the outside, then remove it to a platter to rest under a piece of foil. Return the vegetables for a final 10 minutes.

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Notes

To serve, I usually arrange it on a serving platter for everyone to help themselves. Spoon out the vegetables, throw away the lemon shells and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the skins. Shred the lamb with two forks and add it to the other half of the platter, discarding the bones and any fatty pieces of sinew before the meat arrives at the table. 

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