A tender, spiced lamb shoulder finished in the oven until crisp and golden brown, served with a tangy sumac onion salad.
Slow-Roast Spiced Lamb Shoulder with Sumac Onions
This recipe is inspired by the lamb shoulder dish served at Maydan in Washington, DC, which was named the No. 2 Best New Restaurant in 2018. The original recipe is cooked sous vide until tender and then finished in the hearth until crisp and golden brown. This version has been adapted for the oven to achieve a similar effect.
Ingredients
- 1 6–7-lb. bone-in lamb shoulder
- Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
- 2 tbsp black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp paprika
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp sumac
- ½ cup mint leaves
- ½ cup parsley leaves with tender stems
Directions
- Season lamb very generously with salt and pepper; place on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet.
- Toast peppercorns and coriander seeds in a dry small skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until fragrant, about 3 minutes; let cool. Finely grind in spice mill or with mortar and pestle; transfer to a small bowl. Mix in paprika, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, and nutmeg, then rub all over lamb. Chill uncovered at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
- Let lamb sit out on counter at room temperature 1 hour before roasting.
- Take the head of garlic and slice off the top 1/8th. Oil and salt the exposed end, and wrap in foil. Place alongside the lamb.
- Remove lamb from oven and turn up heat to broil. Discard foil, transfer lamb to a cutting board, and pour off liquid in pan (reserve). Return lamb to pan; roast, uncovered, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes.
- Remove lamb from pan, return liquid, and squeeze in garlic cloves from roasted head. Puree with a stick blender. Add lamb back to pot.
- Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 275°. Transfer lamb to a roasting pan and pour in 3 cups water and the sliced onion. Cover tightly with foil and cook, turning lamb over and rotating pan halfway through, until meat is almost falling off the bone, 3–3½ hours.
- Meanwhile, toss onion, lemon juice, and sumac in a small bowl with your hands, squeezing onion a bit to soften.
- Just before serving, toss mint, parsley, and a pinch of salt into onion mixture. Serve lamb topped with onion salad.
- Sumac can be found at Middle Eastern markets, specialty foods stores, and online.