Main Meals

Slow cooked pulled lamb with a quinoa and tomato salad

6 July, 2022 . 0

This simple roast is tender, succulent and so easy to make for a weekend meal. Plus lamb is rich in iron which promotes muscle growth.

Ingredients

2 kg lamb shoulder; on the bone
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp za’atar seasoning
salt
freshly ground black pepper

For the quinoa tabbouleh

300 g mixed red and white quinoa
300 ml vegetable stock
1 lemon; juiced and zest finely pared
4 tbsp olive oil
1 red onion; diced
1 cucumber; diced
300 g red and yellow cherry tomatoes; quartered
a few sprigs mint
a few sprigs coriander

For the fried eggplant

2 eggplants; thinly sliced
100 ml olive oil

For the hummus

400 g canned chickpeas; drained and canning liquid reserved
90 ml olive oil
2 tbsp tahini paste
1 lemon; juiced
1 clove garlic; crushed

Method

Step 1.
Preheat the oven to its highest setting.

Step 2.
Put the lamb in a roasting tin and slash the top with a sharp knife. Rub with olive oil, then sprinkle with za’atar. Cover the tin tightly with foil, then put it in the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 170°C (150° fan). Roast for 4 hours.

Step 3.
While the lamb is cooking, make the accompaniments. For the tabbouleh, put the quinoa in a saucepan with the stock. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes, then leave to stand off the heat for a further 15 minutes without lifting the lid.

Step 4.
Dress the quinoa with lemon juice and olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper, then leave to cool to room temperature. Toss the quinoa with the onion, cucumber and tomatoes and garnish with mint and coriander.

Step 5.
To make the hummus, put all of the ingredients in a food processor with a big pinch of salt and 2 tbsp of the canning liquid. Blend until smooth, adding a little more canning liquid if it’s too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Step 6.
For the eggplants, season the slices with salt and lay in a single layer on clean tea towels or kitchen paper for 20 minutes to remove excess moisture. Blot well. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the slices in batches until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to a kitchen paper lined bowl to absorb any excess oil.

Step 7.
When the lamb is falling off the bone, take it out of the oven and leave to rest for 15 minutes, still covered in foil.

Step 8.
Shred the lamb off the bone with two forks and transfer to a warm serving dish. Serve the tabbouleh, hummus and eggplant slices on the side.

Serves 8 – 10