Lamb shoulder, caramelised onions and olives with buttered asparagus
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
Recipe photograph by Martin Poole
Lamb shoulder, caramelised onions and olives with buttered asparagus
Recipe by Joe Fox
A Greek-influenced take on an Easter feast, this slow-cooked lamb shoulder is perfect for a large family gathering, allowing you to prep the caramelised onion stock ahead and let the oven do the rest of the work
Serves: 6
Prep time: 30 minsTotal time: 
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Nutritional information (serving)
Calories
946Kcal
Fat
77gr
Saturates
35gr
Carbs
8gr
Sugars
6gr
Fibre
6gr
Protein
53gr
Salt
3.6gr
Joe Fox
As the group executive head chef at the Firmdale Hotels group, Joe oversees the menus for each of the London venues, with different menus to suit their differing clienteles. In the past he has worked at leading London restaurants including Petersham Nurseries and HIX Soho.
See more of Joe Fox’s recipes
Joe Fox
As the group executive head chef at the Firmdale Hotels group, Joe oversees the menus for each of the London venues, with different menus to suit their differing clienteles. In the past he has worked at leading London restaurants including Petersham Nurseries and HIX Soho.
See more of Joe Fox’s recipes
Ingredients
- 1 x whole lamb shoulder joint (about 2.2kg)
- 50ml olive oil
- 3 onions, finely sliced
- 2 garlic bulbs, separated into peeled cloves
- 4 sprigs rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 litre chicken stock*
- 2 x 160g packs by Sainsbury’s garlic and herb green olives
For the buttered asparagus
- 500g asparagus spears, woody ends snapped off
- 75g salted butter
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Step by step
- Remove the lamb shoulder from the fridge and place in a large roasting tin for about an hour before cooking, allowing it to come up to room temperature.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium saucepan and add the onions with a good pinch of salt. Cook over a medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and caramelised. Add the garlic cloves and rosemary and cook for a further 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil, then add the olives and lightly season. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, fan 150°C, gas 3½. Season the lamb shoulder well with salt and black pepper, then pour over the onion and chicken stock mixture. Cover with foil and roast for 4 hours. Test the lamb is cooked by checking the meat comes away easily from the bone. Once cooked, allow to rest for 15 minutes.
-
When almost ready to serve, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, then cook the asparagus for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Drain the asparagus and set aside. Melt the butter in the same saucepan, whisk in the lemon juice and season with black pepper. Remove from the heat, add the asparagus and toss in the butter. Immediately transfer to a warm serving dish. Serve with the lamb, shredding it in front of your guests.
*Check your stock is gluten-free, if required.
