Recipes › Grape (Outdoor) › Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Grapes
Slow-Roasted Lamb Shoulder with Grapes
A magnificent autumn centrepiece of slow-roasted lamb shoulder with outdoor grapes tucked around the joint, which caramelise and meld with the pan juices into a sweet-savoury sauce as the lamb renders down to meltingly tender, pull-apart perfection. The grapes add a uniquely British autumnal character to this celebratory roast.
Grape (Outdoor) is in season now. More grape (outdoor) recipes, or see what to sow this month where you are.
Ingredients
- 2000 g lamb shoulder, bone-in
- 400 outdoor grapes
- 6 garlic cloves
- 6 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 200 ml red wine
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 1 tbsp honey
- to taste salt and pepper
Contains: sulphites.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 160°C. Score the lamb all over and stud with garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs pushed into the cuts.
- Season generously with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb all over in a large casserole dish in olive oil over a high heat.
- Add the red wine and stock to the dish. Add half the grapes around the lamb.
- Drizzle the honey over the top. Cover tightly with a lid or two layers of foil.
- Roast for 3–3.5 hours until the meat is falling from the bone.
- Add the remaining grapes for the last 30 minutes of cooking, uncovering the dish.
- Rest the lamb for 20 minutes before pulling apart with two forks. Serve the pan juices and grapes as the sauce.
Tips
- A tightly sealed pan is essential for the first part of the cook — you want the lamb to braise in its own steam.
- Skim the fat from the pan juices before serving using a large spoon or fat separator.
Ring the changes
- Add a handful of fresh thyme and a cinnamon stick to the braising liquid for a more aromatic, slightly Moroccan-inspired roast.
Keeping it
Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of stock.
In the app this recipe finds you
Log what you've picked and GrowMore CookMore matches it to 1,918 more recipes like this one, tells you what's ready before the frost gets it, and keeps the freezer honest. Free to start.
More from the same crop
An elegant patisserie-style tart with a buttery pastry shell, a luscious vanilla crème pâtissière filling, and neat rows of fresh outdoor grapes glazed to a beautiful gleam. This is a celebration of the British outdoor grape — simple in components but sophisticated and impressive in presentation.
1 h 20 min · challenging · Grape (Outdoor)
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 4 April 2026.