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Slow-Roasted Andalusian-Style Lamb and Potatoes
I made this for the first time at a friend's house when they told me to "just leave it alone" while the oven worked. I was skeptical of leaving food in there for hours with no stirring, but the lamb came out so tender that you could cut through it with a fork without effort.What keeps me coming back is how forgiving it is — if the potatoes are slightly undercooked when you pull them out, they'll finish alongside the meat. I learned to use a mix of waxy and starchy potatoes for different textures, which has become my standard approach ever since.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Pat the lamb pieces dry with paper towels — this helps them brown better rather than steaming.
- In a large bowl, toss the lamb with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, and crushed saffron until evenly coated. Let sit for 10 minutes while you prep the potatoes.
- Arrange the potatoes on a sheet tray (I use two standard half-sheet pans), drizzle with a little oil, and season generously with salt. Spread them out in one layer — don't crowd them.
- Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, brown the lamb pieces on all sides, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate as you go.
- In the same pot, add the garlic and rosemary, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant. Return the lamb and any accumulated juices back to the pot along with the sherry vinegar. Stir once, scraping up browned bits from the bottom.
- Pour in just enough water (or broth) to come about one-third of the way up the meat — you don't want it swimming, just a shallow simmer. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
- Roast for 2 hours, checking at the 1½-hour mark to see if it needs more liquid or less. The lamb is done when a fork slides in easily and the meat begins to pull apart slightly.
- About 30 minutes before serving, spread the browned potatoes around the edges of the pot, nestling them into the sauce. Let everything cook together for those final minutes so the potatoes absorb flavor.
- Remove from oven, season with salt and pepper to taste, and let rest 10 minutes before serving. The sauce will thicken as it cools slightly — this is a good thing.
Nutrition
Notes
- Substitutions: You can use lamb leg meat if you prefer less fat — just reduce cooking time to about 90 minutes. Sweet potatoes work instead of Yukon Golds but will cook a bit faster.
- Storage: Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The flavors actually improve on day two, and it reheats beautifully on low heat or in the microwave with a splash of water.
- Serving suggestion: I serve this with crusty bread for mopping up sauce, or alongside some simple arugula tossed with lemon juice. A dollop of plain yogurt with chopped cucumber makes a lovely contrast to the rich meat.
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