Lamb Shoulder with Pumpkin, Freekeh & Pomegranate

  • PREP TIME 50mins
  • COOK TIME 35 minutes
  • SERVES 4-6 servings
  • SKILL LEVEL Easy
Ingredients
  • 1 x 1.5kg boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed
  • 400g pumpkin, peeled & diced
  • 1 tbs olive oil
  • ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup freekeh, rinsed
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 200g pitted green olives, roughly chopped
  • Seeds of 1 pomegranate
  • ½ cup fresh mint, chopped, plus extra to serve
  • Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

Dressing

  • 1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbs walnut oil
  • 1 tbs pomegranate molasses
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp sea salt

Method
  • Preheat oven to 200°C Fan.
  • Place the pumpkin seeds and walnuts onto a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes until golden, then roughly chop the walnuts. Set aside to cool.
  • Heat teppanyaki plate over medium-high heat and season lamb with salt and pepper. Brown lamb for 5 minutes a side, transfer to a roasting tray and cook in oven for 25-30 minutes for medium, or until cooked to your liking. Then allow to rest, covered loosely, for 10 minutes.
  • Place the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle with oil, season with salt and pepper and roast alongside the lamb for 15 minutes until golden and tender.
  • Meanwhile, cook freekeh in a pot of salted boiling water for 20 minutes until tender, drain and set aside to cool slightly. Transfer freekeh to a bowl along with shallots, olives, pomegranate, mint, pumpkin, pumpkin seeds and walnuts and toss to combine. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients together for the dressing, season with pepper, pour over salad and transfer to serving plate.
  • When the lamb is done, slice thinly and season with salt and pepper. Arrange lamb over the salad and serve with extra fresh mint.

Recipe, Food Styling and Photography by Karen McFarlane, foodlove.com.au