Cottage Dreams And Semi Slow Cooked Lamb With Anchovy

Johanna Kindvall dreams of being able to source ultra local lamb meat at her summer cottage.
Text And Illustration By Johanna Kindvall

Two of the reasons why we bought our cottage on the edge of nowhere was that the house was in range of the Internet and that our neighbor had sheep. Later on we found out that he had just enough lambs each year to feed himself and his two daughters’ families! By that time it was too late as we had started our long renovation of the house. We kind of love the place for other reasons too.

Visit the Honest Cooking Cookbook Shop

However, I can’t help thinking how great it would be if we could get lamb meat that was that ultra-local. My neighbor doesn’t help as he keeps telling me about all the treats he’s been cooking over the winter. For example he makes slow cooked roasts, tasty stews and he salts and dries the leg of lamb (lammfiol). Sigh! Anyway I have to say I like his stories, they are inspiring. So in the end I’m very happy and just up the road from us I can get fresh eggs and chicken. And in my garden I grow flowers and vegetables.

This is how I make Semi slow cooked Lamb…
(serves about 4-6 people)

• about 2- 2 ½ lb (1- 1.25 kg) lamb shoulder (if on the bone take a larger piece)
• some butter (or olive oil)
• salt and pepper
• 4-5 cloves of garlic
• bunch of rosemary
• 3-4 small onions
• 3-4 anchovy fillets
• 3-4 small potatoes for each person
• 4-5 parsnips
• salt

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260°C). Make some slashes in the fat on the lamb shoulder. Rub the piece with butter, salt and pepper. Peel the garlic and cut into smaller pieces. Arrange the garlic and the rosemary on all sides of the meat. If the piece of meat is thin and long you might roll it up with some of the seasoning inside. Put the meat in a greased baking pan and place in the oven.

2. Lower the heat in the oven to 325°F (160°C). After about ½ hour when the lamb has got some color add the onions (cut into quarters) with some more butter. You may also add a splash of water if the bottom of the pan is too dry.

3. Arrange the anchovies around the meat. Let the meat cook for another 1/2 hour or until the onions have softened and got color.

4. Lift up the meat and all the other goodies and pack in foil. Spare the remaining liquid for later use. Bake for about 2 more hours (depending on the size) until meat is almost done.

5. Open up the package and let the meat slide into in the pan again. Place wedges of potatoes and parsnips around the meat. Season with some salt and maybe some more rosemary. Add the saved liquid and cook until vegetables are tender and the meat is easy to pull apart.

I recommend serving the meat with steamed string beans flavored with olive oil, garlic, lime and salt. Enjoy!