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Bone-in lamb shoulder with smoked paprika crust on a platter surrounded by charred onion halves and pan juices

Smoked Paprika Lamb Shoulder with Charred Onions

Slow-roasted lamb shoulder with a smoked paprika crust and charred onions that cook down into a rich, spiced pan sauce.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 620
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Smoked Paprika Rub
  • 3 tbsp smoked paprika Spanish pimenton de la vera preferred
  • 1.5 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 4 garlic cloves grated into a paste
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
Lamb and Onion Base
  • 1.8 kg bone-in lamb shoulder fat cap scored in a crosshatch pattern
  • 4 large yellow onions halved through the root, cut-side down in pan
  • 150 ml chicken or lamb stock for the pan base and deglazing
  • 6 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves

Method
 

Prepare the Rub and Lamb
  1. Heat the oven to 160 C / 320 F. Take the lamb out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking so it reaches room temperature evenly.
  2. Mix the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, garlic paste, olive oil, salt, and pepper in a bowl until you have a thick, uniform paste.
  3. Pat the lamb shoulder completely dry with paper towels. Score the fat cap in a 1 cm deep crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife.
  4. Rub the paste over every surface of the lamb, pressing it firmly into the scored fat and any crevices. It should look like a deep rust-red coating with no bare patches.
Set Up the Roasting Pan
  1. Arrange the halved onions cut-side down in a single layer in your roasting pan. Scatter the thyme sprigs and bay leaves between the onions.
  2. Pour the stock into the pan around the onions - not over them - so there's a shallow liquid base to prevent scorching during the first phase of cooking.
  3. Place the rubbed lamb shoulder on top of the onions, fat-side up. The onions act as a natural rack.
Roast the Lamb
  1. Cover the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil and place it on the middle rack of the oven.
  2. Roast covered at 160 C / 320 F for 2 hours. The lamb should be releasing fat and the onions beginning to soften when you check at the 2-hour mark.
  3. Remove the foil, raise the oven temperature to 200 C / 390 F, and continue roasting uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes until the crust is deep brown and the lamb reaches at least 90 C / 195 F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part away from the bone.
  4. The onion cut-sides should be dark brown to black at the edges and completely soft when pressed. If they're coloring too fast, add a splash of water to the pan.
Rest and Finish the Pan Sauce
  1. Lift the lamb onto a cutting board and tent loosely with foil. Rest for 20 minutes - the internal temperature will climb another 3 to 5 degrees as it sits.
  2. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Place the roasting pan over medium heat on the stovetop. Add 100 ml of water or additional stock and scrape up all the charred fond from the base with a wooden spoon until you have a loose, dark sauce.
  3. Shred or carve the lamb and serve over the charred onions with the pan sauce spooned over the top.

Notes

If the crust starts looking very dark before the lamb is tender, tent loosely with foil and lower heat to 170 C for the remaining cook time - the paprika can go from bark to bitter if it burns fully.