Neven's Christmas in Limerick airs on Thursday, 11 December, on RTÉ One at 8pm.
Ingredients
Serves 6-8
· 3kg Bord Bia Quality Assured Lamb Shoulder, boned & rolled
· 2 red onions, cut into wedges
· 2 large carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
For The Lamb Rub
· 1 tbsp ground cumin
· 1 tbsp ground coriander
· 1 tbsp Paprika
· 1 tbsp Harissa
· 2 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
· Zest & Juice of 1 lime
· 1 tbsp chopped rosemary
· 1 tbsp Honey
· 2 tbsp Olive Oil
· Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
For the Bulgur Wheat
· 400g bulgur wheat
· 25g butter
· 1 red onion, peeled & finely diced
· 100g dried cranberries
· 100g dried apricots, diced
· 1 tsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
· 1 tbsp basil, chopped
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3).
For The Lamb Rub
- Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl & set aside.
- Place the red onion wedges and carrots in the base of a large roasting tray to act as a trivet for the lamb. Dry the rolled lamb shoulder with kitchen paper and carefully place on top of the vegetables. Pour 200ml water around the base of roasting tray.
- Using a pastry brush, generously brush the prepared rub all over the lamb, ensuring to brush the ends too.
- Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, ensuring it is tightly sealed around the sides. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 3½ hours, removing the tinfoil for the last 45 minutes to allow colour.
- Check the lamb after 1 ½ hours, baste/brush the juices over and if required add more water to the roasting tray before returning to the oven.
For the Bulgur Wheat
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the bulgur wheat and cook for 10-12 minutes or according to packet instructions, or until just tender but retaining a little bite. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a medium hear. Add in the diced red onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes until softened but not coloured.
- Add in the dried cranberries and diced dried apricots and allow to warm through for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in the cooked bulgar wheat and stir to combine. Warm through, season to taste and finish with the chopped herbs.
