Anniversary dinner - slow roasted lamb shoulder

On Sunday night Charmaine and I celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary!  We decided to cook dinner at home before heading out for a stroll and perhaps a drink.  Remembering with fondness some slow roasted lamb shoulder that our friend James Payne cooked for us in Melbourne, I decided that if I could find Lamb shoulder in Cologne, I would give it a crack.  I happened to find some New Zealand lamb shoulder in the gourmet food section of the department store nearby,  unfortunately it was frozen but beggars can't be choosers!  It ended up roasting at 130 degrees for about 8 hrs and it was beautiful!  The meat fell off the bone with just a little help from a fork.  The skin and meat on the outside was really dark and crispy and inside was beautiful and moist with a really rich flavour.  I served it with roasted potatoes(Of course) along with roasted carrots, onions, and garlic.  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos so you'll have to take my word for it.  See below for Recipe...

After dinner we went for a stroll into the the center and hung a Liebesschloss (Love padlock) on the Hohenzollernbrücke (Hohenzollern Bridge).  We had a padlock engraved with our initials and the date we were married and locked it onto the bridge, along with the estimated 2 tonnes of other locks.  

After affixing the lock, we threw the keys into the river below....and then went and ate some ice-cream before wandering home full and happy.

RECIPE - SLOW ROASTED LAMB SHOULDER

For two People to be eating at 8pm.

1kg Lamb shoulder

3 Bulbs garlic

2 Carrots (Peeled and quartered)

as many potatoes as you want to eat

2 small onions

Red wine

4 sprigs rosemary

Salt & Pepper

Olive oil

11.30 Preheat oven to 130 degrees

rub the Lamb with salt, pepper, one of the rosemary sprigs, and olive oil and set aside

prepare a bed of 1 bulb of garlic cloves (unpeeled) and the remaining rosemary.

lie the lamb on its little bed of tastiness and pour a cup of red wine into the pan.

12.00 put the Lamb in the oven

17.45 cut the very top off the remaining garlic bulbs and pour some olive oil in the little holes.  put in a separate roasting dish along with the unpeeled onions, and the carrots.  Add Olive oil to lightly coat.

Par boil the potatoes in salted water until cooked through, drain and stand until they stop steaming.

19.15 Add to the roasting tin with the other vegetables

19.30 Remove the lamb, cover with foil and leave to rest in a warm place.  If the garlic looks soft and a golden colour, remove it too.  Turn oven up to 220 Degrees and place the Vegetables on the top tray.

19.45 Toss the Vegetables.

20.00.  Remove meat from the bones with fork.  Place on warmed platter.  Add the vegetables to the platter.  Serve.  Enjoy.