Most of us are aware of the wonders of wine, beer and brandy when it comes to the flavor they can add to a dish. But vodka?

On National Vodka Day, surprise your family with lovely slow-roasted lamb shoulder, and see if they guess the secret ingredient!

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cooking time: 3hours 30 mins (plus 30 mins resting time)

Total time: 4hours 30 mins

Servings: 8

Your ingredients:

• 3 large sprigs of rosemary
• 16pitted prunes
• 1 lamb shoulder (about 5 1/2 pounds – shoulder blade removed)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 5 ounces of butter
• 2 onions
• 2celery heart
• 5 cloves of garlic
• 3 fresh or dried bay leaves
• 3 cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of sweet paprika
• 1 cup of vodka
• 2 1/2 cups of chicken or beef stock
• 1 sourdough loaf
• Olive oil for drizzling
• 3 tablespoons of parsley leaves
• 2 lemons
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

N.B. Use Chef Remi Measuring Cups Set and Chef Remi Measuring Spoons for accurate measuring of ingredients.

Directions:

How to make your Slow-Roasted Vodka Lamb Shoulder:

1. Preheat the oven to 320°F. Use kitchen shears to snip the sprigs and remove the leaves from the rosemary. Using a small paring knife, make incisions into the lamb shoulder and stuff with the pitted prunes and rosemary.

2. In a large pan (large enough to fit the lamb shoulder), heat the olive oil over a medium heat and then sear the shoulder making sure all sides are done. Set aside to rest the shoulder.

3. Chop the onion and the celery heart using a sharp chef’s knife and wooden cutting board.

4. Using a precise paring knife, thinly slice 2 of the garlic cloves. Wipe the pan clean and add the butter. Once the butter has melted over a medium heat, add the onion and celery and cook till soft.

5. Add the sliced garlic and bay leaves, and then follow with the tomatoes, paprika and vodka. Continue to cook for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Once done, take off heat.

6. Place the lamb shoulder back into the pan so you have a snug fit. Now add the chicken or beef stock. Cover loosely with a piece of baking paper and place into the oven.

7. Cook for 3 to 3 1/2 hours until the meat is well cooked and the sauce is thick.

8. Insert a cooking thermometer deep into the center of the shoulder and make sure it registers to 145°F.Allow the lamb to rest for at least 30 minutes.

9. Cut the sourdough into thick slices and grill each slice on both sides in a ridged pan. Cut 1 clove of garlic in half, lengthways, and rub each slice of sourdough with the cut side of garlic. Then, drizzle each slice of sourdough with olive oil.

10. Break the lamb shoulder into chunks and arrange over the toasted sourdough.

11. Finely mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic with a precise paring knife. Snip the parsley using herb scissors.

12. Grate the lemon rind using a fine zesting grate of a box grater.

13. Now dress the lamb by spooning over some sauce, chopped parsley, lemon zest, chopped garlic, and add a dash of salt and pepper to taste.

14. Serve immediately with salad of choice. We love this with a simple wild rocket salad dressed with lemon juice and olive oil.

Unless you've got x-ray vision, knowing how well cooked food is on the inside, from looking at it from the outside, especially when it comes to large roasts, is impossible.

The only way to be absolutely sure that you are serving food that has been cooked to a safe temperature is by using an instant read thermometer.

Tools Used:

• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen Shears
• Paring Knife
• Chef’s Knife
• Cutting Board
• Cooking Thermometer
• Herb Scissors
• Box Grater 

Chef Remi Recommends:

The Chef Remi Digital Cooking Thermometer has an extensive temperature range between -58°F to 572ºF (-50ºC to 300°C), with both Fahrenheit and Celsius reading options. It also as a back lit display, which means you can use it even in dim conditions, such as an evening barbecue, or when camping. 

What's more, this cooking thermometer comes with a manual detailing the optimal cooking temperatures for each type of food, so you’ll never under or over cook your food again!

Add this indispensable kitchen tool to your collection today.