This recipe is courtesy of Easy Living Magazine

Serves: 6   –   Prep time: 10 mins    –    Cook time: 4 ½ hours plus 20 mins standing time

Cals per serving: 258   –   Fat: 15g

Ingredients: 2kg (4 lb) lamb shoulder (with bone); Olive oil; ½ tsp ground cardamom; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp crushed chillies; salt and pepper; 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled; 1 long red chilli; 3 tblsp chopped fresh mint; Seeds from 1 pomegranate; Crushed or ground sumac; 2 tblsp pistachios

1. Heat the oven to 150^oC (gas mark 2).  Rub the lamb with a little olive oil.  Combine the cardamom, cinnamon, crushed chillies, salt and pepper and rub over the meat.  Place in a roasting tin and add enough boiling stock or water to come to a depth of 5mm (¼ in), then add the garlic and whole long chilli.  Cover with foil and cook for about 4 hours.  Check every 30 minutes to make sure the stock hasn’t evaporated, adding more water if needed.
2. Increase the oven temperature to 180^oC (gas mark 4).  Return the tin to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes.  Remove and allow the lamb to rest for about 20 minutes.
3. While the lamb is resting, if you wish to make a sauce to accompany the lamb, reduce the cooking liquid by a third by boiling it.
4. Shred the warm meat and arrange on a platter. Stir through the chopped mint and top with pomegranate seeds.  Sprinkle with a little sumac and the pistachios and season to taste.