Slow roast shoulder of spicy lamb with apricot stuffing

Ingredients

1 large shoulder of lamb

2tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

1tbsp fresh Thyme, chopped

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 lemons

1tsp ground cumin

For the stuffing

6 ready to eat apricots, chopped

25g pine nuts

25g bread crumbs

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

50g medium oatmeal, soaked in cold water for 1 hour

Salt and freashly milled pepper

1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped

Pre-heat oven to 160C gas 3

Mix all the stuffing ingredients together and place them down the middle of the lamb.  Roll and tie with string.

Cover the lamb in olive oil ,garlic, herbs, cumin, salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, squeeze over the juice of one of the lemons.

Place the lamb on a rack in a roasting tin. Pour in enough boiling water to come 2-3 cms up the sides of the tin. Cook for between 4 and 5 hours, depending on the size of the lamb shoulder.

To serve:

sprinkle with a little salt, some extra virgin olive oil, a touch of lemon juice and some chopped parsley.

Delicious with creamed parsnips and colcannon.

.