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How to cook a roast shoulder of lamb

A shoulder of lamb is an Easter classic. Follow our step-by-step recipe for this red wine marinated roast lamb shoulder and gravy and make the ultimate Sunday roast. Don't forget to screenshot the ingredients list at the bottom before you go shopping!

  1. Marinade the lamb

    In a large, non-metallic bowl, whisk together a marinade for the lamb with 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tbsp Dijon mustard and 400ml red wine. Make multiple 1cm deep incisions in the lamb then submerge in the marinade. Cover and chill in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Remove the lamb from the fridge 1 hour before you’re ready to roast.

    Can't find Dijon mustard? Try using 1tsp English mustard instead, or a teaspoon of mustard powder. Red wine can easily be replaced with white. 

    Marinade the lamb
  2. Prep the veg

    Preheat the oven to gas 6, 200°C, fan 180°C. Roughly chop 2 carrots, 3 celery stalks and 1 red onion. Tip into a large roasting tray and spread out in an even layer. Add 3 sprigs of rosemary. Remove the lamb from the marinade (reserving the marinade for later) and place on top of the vegetables. Season and rub with 2 tbsp oil.

    The veg used here is just to add flavour to the gravy, so if you can't find carrots, celery and onion they are not essential - use a little bit of whatever veg you have at home. 

    Prep the veg
  3. Roast and rest

    Roast for 30 mins then pour the marinade into the roasting tray. Reduce the oven temperature to gas 4, 180°C, fan 160°C and roast for a further 2 hours 30 mins. Remove the lamb to a plate, tightly cover with foil and leave to rest for 15 mins.

    Roast and rest
  4. Strain the juices

    Meanwhile, make the gravy. Strain the juices from the roasting tray into a saucepan and add 150ml chicken stock, discarding the veg.

    Strain the juices
  5. Make the gravy

    Remove 3 tbsp of the liquid to a small bowl and mix with 3 tbsp plain flour to make a paste. Add this back to the saucepan and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly and any resting juices from the lamb.

    Redcurrant jelly will add a nice sweetness to your gravy, but if you don't have any you can use a couple of teaspoons of whatever jam you have at home.

    Make the gravy
  6. Carve

    Thinly carve the lamb and serve with the red wine gravy and sides of your choice.

    Carve
  7. Ingredients

    We've made a handy shopping list so you can get everything you need to make this red wine marinated lamb shoulder. Don't forget to screenshot before you go shopping!

    For the marinade
    3 garlic cloves, crushed
    2 bay leaves
    1 tbsp Dijon mustard
    400ml red wine   

    For the lamb
    2kg lamb shoulder joint
    2 carrots
    1 red onion, quartered
    3 celery stalks, roughly chopped 
    3 sprigs rosemary
    2 tbsp olive oil
     
    For the gravy
    1 chicken stock cube, made up to 150ml
    3 tbsp plain flour
    2 tbsp redcurrant jelly