Braised shoulder of lamb à la poitevine

Once, in 1994 or thereabouts, I first made this dish with Johannes van Dam. He had converted the dish, originally made in Poitiers with mutton shoulder, to a lighter version with lamb. Essential are the dried morels and the excessive amount of cognac and garlic. It is a comforting dish. - TEXT WIL DEMANT | PHOTOGRAPHY ANNEMIJN BAX

You will need this for 6 people:

PERSILLADE

• 1 tbsp mustard
• 50 g chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs

OTHER

• 1.5 kg shoulder of lamb with shank
• 100 g butter
• 50 g dried morel mushrooms (soak in water before use)
• olive oil 1 dl
• 20 cloves of garlic, peeled, whole
• 30 small onions, peeled
• carrots 2 pieces, coarsely chopped
• turnips 2 pieces, coarsely chopped
• cognac 1 dl
• dry white wine 3 dl
• dash of red wine vinegar
• bouquet garni (bunch of herbs)
• salt and pepper

This is how you make it:

Debone the lamb shoulder, leaving the shank attached. Or have your butcher do this. Mix the ingredients for the persillade. Stuff the shoulder with this and tie it up. Season the shoulder with salt and pepper, and fry it in 25 g of the butter until golden brown all around and place it in a suitable roasting pan. Fry all the vegetables briefly in the olive oil. Deglaze with the cognac and white wine. Add the soaked morel mushrooms, the rest of the butter, the wine vinegar and the bouquet garni. Pour all this into the roasting pan with the shoulder. Cover with aluminium foil.

Roast for 1.5 hours in an oven preheated to 130°C. The meat should not fall apart, so do not overcook it. Baste the lamb shoulder regularly with the cooking juices, so that it will become nicely browned and juicy. During the last 15 minutes, remove the foil and increase the oven temperature to 180°C. Transect the shoulder and serve with the gravy and all the vegetables on a large warm platter.

Go to FOODTUBE.EN For my instructional video.

Wine

Pour a robust red Loire with it, a Chinon or Bourgeuil.

More recipes?

This recipe is from "Always Sunday" by Wil Demandt | CARRERA CULINAIR ISBN: 9789048856015 | €39.99

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