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Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Chickpeas

I had to sneak in one last slow-cooked dish before the warmer weather truly settles in. At the market this week I spotted a beautiful bone-in lamb shoulder — and nothing excites me more. Cooking meat on the bone is one of those little kitchen secrets: it takes no extra effort but gives you a braise that’s richer, deeper, and full of flavour. The bones quietly work their magic, releasing minerals, collagen, and all that goodness into the sauce as it bubbles away.

This dish is my take on a Persian-inspired lamb stew, gently spiced and made hearty with chickpeas (yes, I reached for the canned ones — because simplifying where you can is the only way to make slow food fit into real life). After hours in the oven, the lamb practically falls off the bone, ready to be spooned over rice, piled into tacos, or even tucked under pastry for the best kind of pie.

But honestly, I love it most in a bowl, topped with cooling sheep’s yogurt, a handful of fresh mint, and a thick slice of crusty, buttered sourdough to mop up every last bit of sauce. It’s generous cooking — feeds a crowd, or freezes beautifully for a night when you need dinner to take care of itself.

Lunch
Dinner
A Little Longer

Serves 5-6

Prep Time 10 Mins

Cook Time 3+HRS Mins

Ingredients

  • 2kg lamb shoulder, bone in
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 brown onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp curry powder
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • Pinch of saffron
  • 1 small red chilli, finely sliced
  • 2 fresh bay leaves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 180ml dry red wine
  • 800ml chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • ⅓ cup dried currants
  • 400g canned chickpeas, drained
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 10g fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • Salt & freshly cracked black pepper

To Serve:

  • Crusty sourdough (or basmati rice for GF)
  • Sheep’s yogurt (or coconut yogurt for DF)
  • Fresh mint leaves

Method

  • 1
    Preheat the oven to 140°C. Bring lamb to room temperature for 1 hour.
  • 2
    Season lamb generously with salt, rubbing it into all sides.
  • 3
    Brown lamb in 1 tbsp oil in a large heavy pan over medium-high heat, 8–10 minutes, until well coloured. Set aside.
  • 4
    Sauté onion, garlic and ginger in remaining oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until softened.
  • 5
    Spice: Add cumin, coriander, curry powder, sumac, saffron, chilli, bay leaves and cinnamon. Cook until fragrant.
  • 6
    Caramelise: Stir in tomato paste, carrot and celery. Cook until vegetables begin to colour.
  • 7
    Deglaze with wine, simmer 1 minute. Pour in chicken stock.
  • 8
    Nestle lamb into the liquid. Add fish sauce, currants and black pepper. Ensure lamb is nearly submerged; top with water if needed.
  • 9
    Slow cook covered, middle shelf, 3½ hours.
  • 10
    Add chickpeas, stir through and return to oven for 30 minutes.
  • 11
    Shred lamb onto a board, discarding bones and sinew. Return meat to the pot. Stir in lemon juice and parsley. Adjust seasoning.
  • 12
    Serve with sourdough or rice, topped with yogurt and fresh mint.
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