Slow-Roasted Lamb Flatbreads with Cucumber and Mint
RECIPE
This slow-cooked lamb recipe does take a little while, but it doesn’t take a lot of effort. Packed full of zesty, lemon flavour and rich garlic, after six and a half hours in the oven you’ll be serving up lamb that’s crisp and crunchy on the outside, while being mouth-wateringly juicy and tender on the inside.
Homemade flatbreads are deceptively easy to whip up, with just three ingredients and no experience required. Plus a tangy, slightly pickled salad of red onion, mint and cucumber balances out the richness of the meat nicely.
Serve with Greek yoghurt and squeeze of lemon for the finishing touch.
RECIPE
Slow roasted lamb flatbreads with cucumber and mint
PREP: 45 mins | COOK: 6 1/2 hrs | DIFFICULTY: Easy | SERVES: 6
Ingredients:
1 large lamb shoulder, bone in
1 red onion, sliced into thirds
3 celery stalks, roughly chopped
2 sprigs rosemary
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
Marinade:
8 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lemon, juice and zest
2 sprigs rosemary
3 tbs honey
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbs salt flakes
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cucumber & mint salad:
1 red onion, sliced thinly
4 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled into strips
2 tsp salt flakes
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tsp caster sugar
4 sprigs mint
3-ingredient flatbread:
2 1/4 cups self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups natural yoghurt
2 tsp butter
Serve with Greek yoghurt and lemon wedges if desired.
Full method:
Mix together crushed garlic, lemon juice and zest, chopped rosemary, honey, pepper, salt and oil. Pour over lamb shoulder and marinate overnight, or for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 140°C. Remove lamb from fridge and allow to come to room temperature. Place celery, onion thirds and then rosemary sprigs under the lamb shoulder in an oven safe dish or tray. Pour stock and wine around the edges, cover and cook for six hours. Check liquid levels halfway and top up with a little water if needed. Uncover and roast at 200°C for 30 minutes at the end, basting occasionally.
To make the flatbread, stir together flour, baking powder and yoghurt. Tip onto a floured surface and knead only until it comes together in a smoothish ball. Place in a floured bowl, cover and set aside for around half an hour.
Meanwhile, prep the salad by tossing cucumber strips and sliced onion in salt flakes. Set aside for at least half an hour, then drain liquid by tipping the plate and patting dry with paper towel. Toss dried onion and cucumber with the vinegar and sugar and set aside for another half an hour, minimum. (The longer you leave it the more pickled and less sharp your onion will taste). Add fresh mint leaves just before serving.
Split flatbread dough into six portions. Roughly knead each portion into a circular disk with your fingers, just larger than your palm. Roll out with a rolling pin to around 15-20cm in diameter. Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook flatbreads one at a time, turning after seeing bubbles form, or until golden on each side. Around 2-3 minutes.
Serve warm flatbreads with torn lamb chunks, cucumber salad and a dollop of yoghurt and lemon wedges if desired.
STEPS:
Step 1: Make the marinade
Mix garlic, lemon juice and zest, rosemary, honey, pepper, salt and oil.
Step 2: Marinate lamb
Marinate the lamb, covered, in the fridge overnight. If you’re out of time, try to marinate for at least one hour.
Step 3: Prep for roasting
Preheat oven to 140°C. Allow lamb to come to room temp. Place celery, red onion and rosemary under lamb in roasting dish.
Step 4: Slow cook the lamb
Add stock and white wine, cover and roast for 6 hours. Check liquids halfway and top up with water if needed. In the last 30 mins, uncover and cook at 200°C, basting occasionally.
Step 5: Make flatbread dough
Mix yoghurt, baking powder and flour until just combined.
Step 6: Knead & set aside
Knead only until dough forms, place in a floured bowl, cover and set aside for roughly half an hour.
Step 7: Prep cucumber & onion
Peel cucumber into strips using a hand peeler or mandolin. Thinly slice the onion.
Step 8: Salt & drain
Toss through salt flakes and allow to sit for half an hour, then drain by tipping the plate and patting dry with paper towel.
Step 9: Divide dough
Split flatbread dough into six portions.
Step 10: Shape into disc
Roughly knead each portion into a circular disk with your fingers, just larger than your palm.
Step 11: Roll out flatbread
Roll out with a rolling pin to around 15-20cm in diameter.
Step 12: Pan-fry flatbread
Heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over medium heat and cook flatbreads one at a time, turning after seeing bubbles form, or until golden on each side. Around 2-3 minutes.