Transit

Journey Overview

This is the long-haul flight of Sunday cooking. The kind of journey you commit to on a lazy weekend afternoon, knowing that the destination — fall-apart tender lamb in a rich, wine-dark sauce — is worth every minute in the air. Like settling into your seat for an intercontinental flight, you start this recipe with anticipation, knowing you're in for the long game.

There's something meditative about a four-hour braise. The house fills with the aroma of rosemary and red wine, the oven hums steadily, and you're free to read, nap, or just exist while time does the heavy lifting. This is slow food at its finest — not fast, not fussy, just patient transformation of tough shoulder into silk.

When you finally land at your destination and lift the lid, the lamb will be so tender it barely holds its shape. The sauce will have reduced to liquid gold. And your passengers — sorry, dinner guests — will wonder how something this spectacular came from such simple ingredients. That's the magic of the long-haul route.

Passenger Manifest (Ingredients)

Flight Plan (Instructions)

1. Preheat your oven to 160°C. Season the lamb shoulder generously with salt and pepper on all sides. This is your pre-flight check.

2. Heat a large, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a glug of olive oil. When hot, sear the lamb shoulder on all sides until deeply golden brown, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside. This step builds the flavour foundation — don't skip the browning.

3. In the same pot, add the onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 5-6 minutes until softened and starting to colour. Add the garlic and rosemary, cook for another minute until fragrant.

4. Pour in the red wine, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let it bubble away for 2-3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

5. Add the tinned tomatoes, stock, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Return the lamb to the pot — it should be mostly submerged in liquid. Bring to a simmer.

6. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 3.5 to 4 hours, turning the lamb every hour or so, until the meat is fall-apart tender.

7. Remove the lamb carefully (it will be very tender) and transfer to a serving platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.

8. Strain the braising liquid through a sieve, pressing on the vegetables to extract all the flavour. Discard the solids. Return the liquid to the pot and simmer over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened. Season to taste.

9. Pour the sauce over the lamb and serve immediately. The meat should be so tender you can pull it apart with forks. Your destination has been reached.

Flight Metrics (Nutrition)