Find More Recipes

Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup

Ready in 4 hrs 5 mins

Recipe by Graham 

Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup is the perfect recipe for entertaining. Not only is it truly delicious, it's also quickly prepared and virtually looks after itself while you chat with your guests.

Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup is the most perfect embodiment of a dinner dish for the colder months. If you are planning a feast of any kind this weekend I urge you to give this recipe a try. You'll not be disappointed. (You should be able to buy chestnuts ready-roasted either in tins or vacuum packed. If they are whole, you need to crumble them into small 'bits').

Preparation Time

5 Minutes

Cooking Time

4 Hours

Ingredients for Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

3¼ lb leg of lamb
2 onions
8 oz chestnuts
5 carrots
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
¼ pint maple syrup
1¼ pint water
2 beef stock cubes
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch or wheat starch)

How to Cook Slow Cooked Lamb with Maple Syrup

  1. This is so easy to make, it deserves a medal!!! Peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel and chop the carrots into three or four pieces. Place the chopped onion in a Dutch oven or large casserole dish (big enough to accommodate your joint). Wash the lamb then pat dry with kitchen paper. Place it on top of the onions. Spread the carrots around the joint and sprinkle the chestnut pieces over the top.
  2. Place two large sprigs of fresh rosemary down the sides of casserole or pot and pour the maple syrup all over the meat. Add the water and place a lid on the pot. Cook in a preheated cool oven (Mk 2 - 300ºF - 150ºC) for 2 hours.
  3. After 2 hours turn the oven up to hot (Mk 7 - 425ºF - 220ºC) and cook for a further one hour. Remove from the oven and crumble two beef stock cubes into the pot. Stir well to mix. Mix the cornflour with about 3-4 tablespoons of warm water, add to the pot and stir again (this will help thicken the 'gravy' in the pan). Return the pot to the hot oven and cook for a further one hour (or until you can twist a fork in the joint and the meat comes away easily).
  4. There's no way you want to take a carving knife to this joint. The meat is so tender that you simply need to take the lamb to the table and pull the meat away with a fork and a spoon as you serve it. Just provide a dish of Creamed Potatoes or Irish Style Champ to soak up the gravy!
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Check the liquid levels a couple of times during cooking to make sure it's not getting low.
 
GRAHAM'S WINE RECOMMENDATION:
Though simple, this dish deserves a good bottle of wine. A nice Burgundy like Nuits-Saint-Georges, or even the stronger-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape does the trick quite nicely! If you prefer lighter wines, a good Pinot Noir like Vigne des Seigneurs. Medium bodied Pinot Noir will happily grace any table. It's at its best when married with roast turkey or roast lamb like this dish. It also works well with creamy, mild soft cheeses.