Slow cooked lamb with olives, oregano and orange

Slow cooked lamb with olives, oregano and orange. Photo / Babiche Martens

Serves 4-6

2 onions
1 x 1.5 kg boned lamb shoulder
4 large garlic cloves, sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 bay leaves
12 kalamata olives
finely grated zest of one orange
1 cup of chicken or lamb stock
1 cup white wine
1 handful of fresh oregano plus extra leaves to garnish
4 potatoes, cut into quarters

1 Preheat oven to 160C. Chop the onions and put into a heavy casserole dish. Place the lamb on top. Add the garlic and season the lamb thoroughly. Rub with the olive oil.

2 Add the bay leaves and the olives. Add the orange zest then peel the orange and cut into segments. Put aside.

3 Pour the stock and wine around the lamb and add the oregano. Put on the lid and cook for 3 hours. Check occasionally and add more liquid if necessary.

4 Remove the lid and add the potatoes and orange, replace the lid and return to the oven for a further 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Scatter with fresh oregano before serving with green vegetables.

Chef's tip

The lamb needs to be cooked in a casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid to keep all the moisture locked inside. Check it every so often and add more stock and wine if necessary. A roast with a bone in can be used to give more flavour and can also be left to cook for longer.