Braised Lamb Shoulder with Pomegranate Yogurt and Couscous

A long, slowly braised lamb shoulder that falls off the bone tender and can be prepared a day ahead. Served with pomegranate yogurt, couscous and fresh herbs.

By yumbelo · 6 servings · 240 minutes

Ingredients

• 1800 g Lamb shoulder with bone
• 3 pc Onions
• 4 pc Garlic cloves
• 3 pc Carrots
• 3 tbsp Tomato paste
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1 tsp Sweet paprika powder
• 4 tbsp Olive oil
• 500 ml Water
• 1 pc Lemon
• 3 tbsp Pomegranate molasses
• 1 tbsp Honey
• 1 pc Pomegranate
• 500 g Yogurt (3.5% fat)
• 1 bunch Mint
• 1 bunch Parsley
• 50 g Flaked almonds
• 300 g Couscous
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 pinch Pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 °C top and bottom heat. Season the lamb shoulder all over with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole or pot with a lid over medium to high heat and sear the lamb shoulder vigorously on all sides until golden brown. Remove.
3. Peel the onions and cut into wedges, cut the carrots into thick pieces, lightly crush the garlic. Fry everything in the remaining fat for 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, cinnamon and paprika powder and toast for 1 minute. Deglaze with 500 ml water and the juice of the lemon, scraping the browned bits from the bottom.
5. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and honey, return the lamb shoulder to the casserole. Cover and place in the oven to braise for about 3 hours, until the meat is very tender and easily comes off the bone.
6. Remove the meat from the braising liquid, strain the liquid through a sieve and skim off the fat. Pull the meat into coarse pieces, cover with some of the liquid and let cool. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
7. On the day of serving, preheat the oven to 180 °C. Heat the meat covered with the liquid for 30 to 40 minutes until heated through.
8. Toast the flaked almonds without fat in a pan until golden brown and remove. Halve the pomegranate and remove the seeds with a spoon.
9. Season the yogurt with salt and pepper. Pick off the mint and parsley leaves and chop finely, stir half into the yogurt.
10. Pour hot water over the couscous according to the package instructions, cover and let swell for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork. Season with salt and fold in the remaining herbs.
11. Arrange the lamb shoulder with couscous and yogurt on plates, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and almonds, and serve the braising liquid on the side as desired.