Braised lamb shoulder with bay and beans
Succulent braised lamb shoulder served with beans, citrus syrup, and crispy garlic - a comforting and elegant dish full of rich, layered flavors.
Updated : 22 August, 2025
Easy
About 30 min.
Ingredients
For the braised lamb shoulder
2 tablespoon
Olive oil
2
Lamb shoulder
to taste
Salt
2
Onion
1
Celery stalk
1 liter
Meat broth
4
Laurel leaf
For the beans
2
Lemon
50 grams
Sugar
1
Onion
2
Pork sausage
3
Garlic
400 grams
Canned beans
2 tablespoon
Parsley
To serve
1 tablespoon
Olive oil
2
Garlic
Table
Table of volume measurements:
- teaspoon - 5 ml
- dessert spoon - 10 ml
- tablespoon - 20 ml
- glass - 200 ml
Preparation
Step 1
For the braised lamb shoulder, preheat the oven to 150C.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Season the lamb shoulders lightly with salt, then add them to the hot pan. Brown the shoulders on all sides as much as possible, then transfer them to a casserole dish.
Step 3
Tip the chopped onion and celery into the frying pan and cook until softened. Add these vegetables to the casserole. Pour in the stock, add the bay leaves, bring to the boil, and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Step 4
Cover the casserole with a lid and braise in the oven for 1½-2 hours. Once cooked, remove from the oven and allow the lamb to rest in the braising liquid.
Step 5
Measure 500ml of the braising liquid into a separate pan and cook until it has reduced to a glaze or sauce consistency.
Step 6
For the beans, peel the lemons with a knife and cut the peel into fine strips, similar to marmalade. Blanch the peel in boiling water and refresh in ice-cold water three times.
Step 7
Juice the lemons and place the juice in a saucepan with the sugar. Bring to the boil, then add the blanched peel and cook until it forms a light syrup.
Step 8
Heat a large frying pan and add the oil. Once hot, fry the onion with the sausage until lightly coloured. Add the garlic and cook for a further two minutes. Remove the sausages and slice into bite-sized pieces.
Step 9
Add the beans to the pan along with half of the reduced braising liquid, the lemon syrup, and most of the chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Step 10
To serve, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and fry the garlic until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
Step 11
Divide the beans between two plates, place the braised lamb shanks on top, and brush the shanks with the remaining glaze. Garnish with the remaining parsley, a bay leaf on each shank, and the crispy fried garlic.