Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast

Tender and flavorful, this easy lamb shoulder roast melts in your mouth! It’s simple to prepare and, after a fast start, cooks long and slow in the oven. Time making this dish is mostly hands-off. 

If you’ve been reading here a while, you know how much I adore Jamie Oliver. Since his young, baby-face days as the Naked Chef, I’ve watched his career expand as he grew up. Now with a family of his own, he has one of his son’s looking to follow in his footsteps, as he did with his own dad who ran the family pub kitchen.

While occasionally he does a fancy cheffy thing, a nod to his culinary training, most of his recipes are deliciously down-to-earth, like this one. 

Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast

If you can’t find new potatoes or young carrots, substitute regular ones, peeled and cut into chunks. This recipe is adapted from one of Jamie Oliver’s in his book, Jamie at Home: Cook Your Way to the Good Life, published in 2006. I’ve been making some version of it ever since.

Ingredients

1 (2.2 lb or 1 kg) half shoulder of lamb

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3-4 sprigs fresh rosemary

1 head garlic, peeled and large cloves halved

1 yellow onion, peeled and cut in thick slices

Olive oil

1 lb or 450g new potatoes

12 oz or 340g young carrots

Method

Preheat your oven as high as it goes, 450-500°F or 232-260°C.

Score the fat side of the lamb with a sharp knife. 

Rub it all over with a generous amount of fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

Wrap it in cling film and set aside while you prep the garlic and onion according to the ingredient list.

Drizzle a little olive oil in the bottom of your Dutch oven and arrange the onion slices to cover the area where the lamb will rest. Put half of the garlic on top, along with half of the leaves from your rosemary, stripped from the sprigs. 

Unwrap the lamb and lay it fat side up on the onion, garlic and rosemary. Drizzle the top of the lamb with more olive oil. Add on the balance of the garlic and stripped rosemary leaves with another little drizzle of oil.

Put the cover on the Dutch oven (or a tightly fitting piece of thick foil) and put it in the oven. Immediately turn the oven temperature down to 325°F or 163°C. 

Roast for three hours. Meanwhile, scrub the new potatoes and young carrots and toss them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Set them aside, ready to go in. 

When the three hours are up, remove the Dutch oven from the oven and take the lid off carefully, so you don’t burn yourself.

Add in the potatoes and carrots and turn them in the pan juices. Put the lid back on and roast for a further 30 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and check to see if the meat is falling off the bones yet. It should be! 

If you’d like a little more color on your lamb, baste it with the pan juices and pop it back in the oven without the lid for another 15-20 minutes or until it is colored to your satisfaction. 

Remove the lamb to a serving platter with the potatoes and carrots. 

Pan juices, along with the onion, garlic and rosemary, can be made into gravy with the addition of a little flour and stock or they can be served as is on the side. 

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 12th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter L. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the L recipes below:

• Deviled Eggs with Lemon Caper Remoulade from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast from Food Lust People Love
• Greek Pork Chops from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Instant Pot Spicy Moroccan Lamb and Lentil Stew from A Messy Kitchen
• Lasooni Palak from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Lemon Lavender Scones from Blogghetti
• Lentil, Sweet Pepper, Spinach, and Linguica from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Low Carb 2 Ingredient Oat Bread from Sneha’s Recipe
• No Bake Lemon Lush Dessert from Jolene’s Recipe Journal

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama 

L. Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Easy Lamb Shoulder Roast!

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Easy Chicken Kapama

Boneless skinless chicken thighs make this easy kapama chicken with a rich cinnamon scented tomato sauce quick to the table. It’s so very delicious! 

Not that I’ve ever made it before but New York Times Cooking says that the traditional Greek version would be made with a whole chicken, cut into its typical pieces. But, of course, bone-in chicken takes much longer to cook so if you are looking for a weeknight dish, starting with boneless chicken is ideal. 

It's also a great make-ahead dish because it just gets better the next day! We liked it the first night but loved it even more as leftovers. 

Easy Chicken Kapama

This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking. It calls for ground cinnamon as well as two cinnamon sticks and it needs both for a more authentic Greek flavor. Serve it over buttered egg noodles or orzo.

Ingredients

1 lb 12 oz or 800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Ground cayenne

Ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1 (15 oz or 425g) can tomato puree

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon sugar

2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves only

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional

For garnish:

2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley and oregano, roughly chopped

For serving:

Buttered egg noodles or orzo

Grated kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan

Crushed red pepper, optional

Method

Season the chicken thighs well on both sides with salt, black pepper, cayenne and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Cut them into three or four pieces each.

In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium flame. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, cook the chicken until it is lightly browned on both sides. 

Remove to a plate as you cook each batch. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point but, worry not, it will finish cooking in the sauce. 

Slice the onion and garlic thinly. 

Add them to the skillet and cook until the onion is soft and translucent. 

Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste and water equal to half of the tomato puree can. This also helps rinse the can so you are sure to use all of the puree. Stir well.

Add in the cinnamon sticks and leave to cook for a few minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, stir to coat with the sauce and bring to a simmer. 

Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Add in the fresh oregano leaves, the spoon of sugar and crushed red pepper, if using, stir well. 

Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.

Serve the chicken over buttered egg noodles or orzo, spooning the tomato sauce on top. Top with the fresh herbs and grated cheese.

Enjoy!

Welcome to the 11th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter K. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the K recipes below:

• Baby Kale Salad with Steak and Citrus Vinaigrette from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Brown Sugar and Ketchup Pork Chops from Blogghetti
• Creamy Kohlrabi Pasta from Mildly Indian
• Easy Chicken Kapama from Food Lust People Love
• Individual No Bake Key Lime Pies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Kabocha Methi Garlic Rolls from Magical Ingredients
• Kachhe Kele Ke Kofte from Mayuri’s Jikoni
• Kahlua and Cream: Brown Cow Cocktail from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
• Kielbasa Pasta Medley (Sicilian Medley) from A Messy Kitchen
• Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal from Sneha’s Recipe
• Spicy Cheddar Krispies Crackers (Rice Krispies) from Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Here are my posts for the 2026 alphabet challenge, thus far:

A: Ají de Cerdo aka Peruvian Pork Stew

B: Baby Cos Peach Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing 

C. Traditional Cullen Skink 

D. Coconut Cream Date Caramel 

E. Edamame Summer Salad 

F. Lamb Feta Mint Patties 

G. Ricotta Gnocchi à la Poêle 

H. Hazelnut Vodka 

I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!

J. Jägersuppe - Hunter's Soup 

K. Easy Chicken Kapama - this post!

To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.

Pin this Easy Chicken Kapama! 

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Sfincione Siciliano #BreadBakers

Sfincione Siciliano is a staple street food of Sicily, with a fluffy bread base topped with strong cheese and a rich onion anchovy tomato sauce, finished with breadcrumbs, more cheese and oregano.

 

Sfincione is pronounced sfeen-CHOH-neh (IPA: /sfin'tʃoːne/) in Italian. From what I can discern, it’s like if focaccia married cheese pizza with a little nod to Ligurian pissalandrea in the sauce but without the black olives. Yeah, a little mixed up maybe but the Sicilians are on to something! It’s delicious. 

I shared four pieces with my brother- and sister-in-law and when she sent me a thank you text, she called them pizza squares. Perfect name! If you can't say sfincione, just tell your family you are making pizza squares for dinner. 

Sfincione Siciliano 

The traditional cheese for this dish is called Siciliano Caciocavallo but the interwebs assure me that the best substitute is an aged provolone for both taste and texture. This recipe is adapted from one on Tavol Arte Gusto and makes one sfincione in a 12x17 in or 30x43cm pan. Start this recipe early in the day to allow for the three rising sessions. 

Ingredients

For the base:

1 teaspoon dried active yeast

1 ½ cups or 355ml warm water

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups or 380g 00 Italian flour

2/3 cup or 100g re-milled durum wheat semolina

2 teaspoons fine sea salt

1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing the pan

For the onion sauce:

3 medium-sized onions

2 tablespoons olive oil (use the oil from the anchovies and top up if needed)

2 anchovy fillets in olive oil

1 can (1 lb 12oz or 800g) peeled Italian tomatoes

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

For the toppings:

7 oz or 200g Sicilian Caciocavallo or Provolone Stravecchio

5 – 6 anchovy fillets in oil

2 tablespoons breadcrumbs

2-3 sprigs fresh oregano

Method

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, along with the teaspoon of sugar. Within a few minutes, it should start to create bubbles and foam up. This is how you know your yeast has been activated.

Measure your 00 flour, semolina and salt into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, if using. 

Add the yeast dissolved in water, and knead until you’ve created a soft dough. 

Little by little, add the oil—continuing to knead throughout.

The dough should appear smooth and well-developed (forming a cohesive elastic mass.) Finally, shape the dough into a ball.

 Cover the bowl and let the dough to rise for at least 3 hours; it should quadruple in volume.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce. First, thinly slice the onions.

 

Place them in a pot with the oil and anchovies. Let them heat through for 5–6 minutes over high heat.

Puree the tomatoes in a blender (or with a hand blender), then add them to the onion pot. 

 

Fill the tomato can up about a quarter with water to make sure you get all of the tomato out and add it to the pot as well. 

Bring to a low boil then the sauce over low heat for about 45 minutes.

The result should be a rich, thick sauce. Add the baking soda and salt and stir well. 

Remove from the heat and set aside and to cool.

Finally, take the risen dough and spread it out in a 12x17 in or 30x43cm baking pan lightly greased with oil. Spread the dough using your fingers, gently tapping it with your fingertips trying your best not to pop any air bubbles.

Add the anchovy fillets broken into bits.

At this point, cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another hour or so.

Cut most of the cheese into pieces and grate a little, about 3-4 tablespoons. Mix the grated cheese with the breadcrumbs.

After that rise in the pan, add the remaining toppings to the dough: first the pieces of cheese.

Followed by the sauce.

Then finish with the grated cheese/breadcrumbs, and a handful of fresh oregano leaves.

Finally, let it rise for another hour. Near the end of rising time, preheat your oven to 475°F or 246°C.

Bake the sfincione in the hot oven, on the lowest rack or, if possible, in direct contact with the oven floor for 10 minutes. Move the pan to the middle-upper rack, to bake for another 20 minutes or so. The topping should be dry and the base nice and puffy and golden.

Remove from the baking pan. 

Cut in squares to serve. Golden bottom! I was a bit concerned by the dark edges, but the bottom was lovely and crunchy.

So fluffy! 

Enjoy!

It’s the second Tuesday of the month which means it’s time for my Bread Baker group to share their recipes. Our theme this month is Italian bread. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories. Check out the links below.

• Cornetti Dolci (Italian Croissants) from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Focaccia Bread Art from Making Miracles
• No-Knead Green Chutney Focaccia with Tofu from Cook with Renu
• No Knead Potato Focaccia from Sneha's Recipe
• Overnight Ciabatta from A Messy Kitchen
• Overnight Focaccia from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Sfincione Siciliano from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Cherry Tomato Focaccia from Zesty South Indian Kitchen

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

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