Directions
Today we will learn to cook lamb like a real Michelin starred chef. This recipe, roasted lamb shoulder with thyme gremolata, comes from the Dolomites, from the kitchen of a great chef full of passion, imagination, gifted with a sound skill: Herbert Hintner, owner of the Zur Rose restaurant.
What we like about this dish are the colors, which remember a painting of Pizarro, the delicious flavor, strong, but gentle and full of shades and the Euclidean precision of all the suggestion given by all the aromatic herbs and the vegetables.
You are looking for a fancy lamb recipe to add to your Easter menu, well, it’s your lucky day: you’ve found the perfect second course!
Ingredients for the roasted lamb shoulder with thyme gremolata
- 1 shoulder of lamb with bones (about 1.6 kg)
- 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celery, 1 leek
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
For the bed of vegetables
- 2 white carrots
- 2 parsnips
- 2 blue carrots
- 2 yellow carrots
- 40 Crosne Stachys (Japanese potatoes)
- 2 tablespoons of ground almonds
- ½ l of lamb gravy
- 1 l of vegetable broth
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
For the thyme gremolata
- 3 tablespoons of stewed onion
- 3 sprigs of thyme
How to prepare the roasted lamb shoulder with thyme gremolata
Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the lamb shoulder, brown in a pan for 3 minutes for each sides. Wash and chop 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 celery, 1 leek and put them in a baking tray with a drop of olive oil, mix and lay down the lamb in the center.
Place in (preheated) oven at 140° C and cook for 2-2½ hours, taking care to bathe the lamb often with the vegetable broth.
For the bed of vegetables, wash and peel all the vegetables, cut into fairly large pieces, then brown them in olive oil for about fifteen minutes. Blanch some Crosne Stachys in salted water for 5 minutes, then add them, together with ground almonds, to the mix, stir and cook for 5 minutes more.
Put on the flame the lamb gravy and let it reduce, 10 minutes.
For the gremolata: mix stewed onions with the thyme leaves finely chopped. Remove the shoulder from the oven and season with the thyme gremolata.
Put the lamb under the hot grill for 5 minutes, after bone it and cut into slices.
Presentation: lay down some vegetables in round molds, over which you’ll place a slice of lamb and drizzle with a splash of lamb gravy.
Cooking tips: instead of the white & blue carrots you can used common carrot. If you can’t find Crosne Stachys and ground almonds, you can simply discard these ingredients. As side dish you can also use other vegetables such as potatoes, celery and so on, just use your imagination!
What wine matches well with the roasted lamb shoulder with thyme gremolata?
When you have to choose a wine for a lamb roast remember that Cabernet Sauvignon is your best friend. Let’s uncork the South Tyrol Cab from Martin Teusch winery, which offers a round fruit surrounded by a symphony of sweet spices and aromatic herbs, perfect to enhance the strong taste of the lamb.
Recipe courtesy of the chef Herbert Hintner, Zur Rose restaurant.
