Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Harissa, Fennel and Dates

Ingredients

• 2 kg Boneless lamb shoulder with bone (Remove excess fat and any small loose pieces)
• 400 g Pitted Medjool dates (Cut into pieces before blending)
• 100 g Peanut butter (no added sugar) (Plain, smooth or crunchy according to preference)
• 8 g Harissa (Spicy paste, adjust to taste)
• 60 g Extra virgin olive oil (About 4 tablespoons)
• 30 ml Fresh lime juice (Juice of one medium lime)
• 2 g Ground cumin
• 3 g Ground turmeric
• 3 g Madras curry
• 1 bulb Fennel (Cut into quarters keeping the base)
• 1 Red bell pepper (Core and cut into strips)
• 1 Green bell pepper (Core and cut into strips)
• 1 Fresh red chili (Remove seeds, finely chop)
• 1 Red onion (Cut into quarters)
• 2 cloves Garlic cloves (Lightly crush)
• 2 tbsp Fresh parsley (Chopped, for garnish)
• 1 tbsp Toasted sesame seeds (Optional, for crunch)
• to taste Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare the lamb shoulder

   Remove excess fat and any small loose pieces, then lightly season with salt and pepper. Pat the surface dry with paper towels.

   Time: PT10M

2. Sear the meat

   Heat the pan over very high heat (level 9), add a drizzle of olive oil and place the lamb shoulder. Sear 5 minutes each side until a nice golden crust forms, then lower the heat to medium (level 7) and finish with 5 more minutes.

   Time: PT10M

   Temperature: Very high (≈200 °C in the pan)

3. Prepare the date, peanut and harissa paste

   In the blender, combine the pitted dates, peanut butter, harissa, olive oil, lime juice, cumin, turmeric and curry. Blend until a smooth, homogeneous paste forms.

   Time: PT15M

4. Cut the vegetables

   Mince the garlic, cut the fennel into quarters, the peppers into strips, the chili into small dice (without seeds) and the red onion into quarters.

   Time: PT10M

5. Preheat the oven

   Turn on the oven and set it to 200 °C (convection if possible).

   Time: PT5M

   Temperature: 200°C

6. Assemble the dish

   Place the seared lamb shoulder in a roasting pan, generously brush the entire surface with the date paste. Arrange the fennel quarters, peppers, red onion, chili and garlic around it.

   Time: PT5M

7. Roast in the oven

   Put the pan in the oven and cook for 45 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the color and, if needed, drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables. The meat should be pink in the centre and the vegetables tender.

   Time: PT45M

   Temperature: 200°C

8. Rest the meat

   Remove the pan from the oven, loosely cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes. Resting allows the juices to redistribute.

   Time: PT10M

9. Plating and serving

   Slice the lamb shoulder into thick slices, arrange on a serving platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and, if desired, toasted sesame seeds. Serve with the roasted vegetables.

   Time: PT5M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

820

Protein

33 g

Carbohydrates

53 g

Fat

43 g

Fiber

7 g