Carl Maunder
Executive Chef
I love a Sunday good roast. It is something I look forward to every week with the family, especially in the winter. The kitchen just smells great.
If I am doing lamb or pork firstly, I would always choose shoulder rather than leg, the result is much better and I follow my 130/140 rule (I have young kids so we eat at 6.30PM) – start at 1.30PM and cook at 140°C. With a roast around 1.5-2kg you can’t go wrong, it will be pull-apart tender.
Caponata with roast lamb works really well. The sweetness of slow cooked vegetables balanced with the acidity of red wine vinegar and anise basil flavour are so good!
Ingredients
Lamb Shoulder
- 1 square-cut lamb shoulder, bone in (approx. 1.5–2kg)
- Dijon mustard
- flaky sea salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and halved lengthwise
- 1 fennel bulb, stalk trimmed and cut into 6 wedges
2 cups water
Instructions
Slow-Roast the Lamb
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
2. Brush the lamb shoulder generously with Dijon mustard. Season all over with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange the carrot and fennel in a roasting dish. Place the lamb shoulder on top (or use a rack above the veg if preferred).
4. Pour 2 cups of water into the base of the tray.
5. Roast uncovered for 3 hours.
6. Remove lamb, wrap it in two layers of foil, and return it to the oven without the vegetables or liquid. Roast for another hour.
7. Once done, remove from the oven and let it rest—still wrapped—for 1 hour.
Ingredients
Caponata
- 1 eggplant, diced
- 1 red capsicum, seeded and diced
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ bunch fresh basil, chopped
- 2 Tbsp good quality red wine vinegar
- 1 ball mozzarella, torn
- Extra virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Make the Caponata
1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. In a large bowl, toss eggplant, red onion, capsicum, garlic, and cherry tomatoes with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Sauté briefly in a hot pan for 2 minutes to kickstart the flavour.
4. Transfer to an oven dish and roast for 20 minutes. Stir gently, then roast for another 20 minutes until soft and sweet.
5. Finish by mixing in red wine vinegar and chopped basil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Bring It All Together
1. Reheat the reserved carrot and fennel in the oven.
2. Spoon the warm caponata into a serving bowl. Top with torn mozzarella and a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
3. Unwrap the rested lamb and finish under the grill for a few minutes to crisp up the outside.
Carl has more than two decades of hospitality experience in a wide range of chef roles. Currently, he is the Executive Chef at InterContinental Hotel, Wellington, New Zealand. He has led three restaurants as an owner operator, comprising original concepts developed and launched by himself…
If you would like to learn more about Carl, see Expert: Carl Maunder.
