Slow-Braised Lamb with Root Vegetables and Juniper

Slow-Braised Lamb with Root Vegetables and Juniper

This is the kind of dish that smells like a Nordic farmhouse kitchen in late autumn: lamb shoulder braised low and slow with root vegetables, a handful of juniper berries, and good dark beer. It takes patience more than skill, and it's the sort of project worth setting aside a lazy Sunday afternoon for.

You need

• 3 1/2 lbs (1.6 kg) bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 2 yellow onions, cut into wedges
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick chunks
• 1 small celeriac (about 1 lb/450 g), peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into thick chunks
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 10 juniper berries, lightly crushed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 bottle (12 oz/355 ml) dark beer or porter
• 2 cups (475 ml) beef or chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Chopped fresh parsley, to finish

Method

1. Heat the oven to 325F (165C).
2. Pat the lamb chunks dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the lamb in batches, about 3-4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Don't crowd the pot. Transfer the lamb to a plate.
3. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions, carrots, celeriac and parsnips to the same pot, and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to pick up some color and the onions turn translucent.
4. Add the garlic, juniper berries, thyme and bay leaves, and stir for a minute until fragrant.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another minute, then pour in the beer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Return the lamb to the pot, add the stock so the meat is mostly submerged, and bring to a gentle simmer on the stovetop.
7. Cover and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the lamb is fall-apart tender and pulls easily with a fork.
8. Lift the lamb and vegetables out onto a serving platter. Skim excess fat from the braising liquid, then set the pot over medium-high heat on the stove and reduce the liquid by about a third, until it coats the back of a spoon, 10-15 minutes.
9. Whisk in the butter off the heat for richness, taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then pour the sauce over the lamb and vegetables.
10. Scatter with chopped parsley and serve hot, with boiled potatoes or dark rye bread alongside.