DUKAI recipe

Moroccan Sous Vide Lamb Shoulder

Dark spice, saffron, preserved lemon and herbs, then charcoal at the end.

6 shoulders of 2.5 kg, 15 kg raw. Each portion: one eighth of a 2.5 kg shoulder.

Serves

Ingredients

Salt, 1.2 to 1.5 percent of the meat weight, here for 15 kg180 to 225 g6.5 oz to 8 oz (180 to 225 g)

Toast the whole spices until aromatic, then grind them.
Add the ground spices to the mix after grinding.
Blend the onions, garlic, coriander, mint, preserved lemons and tomato paste into a paste.
Add the olive oil, vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice and honey.
Add the salt, calculated at 1.2 to 1.5 percent of the weight of the meat.

Score the shoulders lightly. Do not cut deeply.
Massage the marinade thoroughly into every fold. A vacuum bag helps it penetrate.
Marinate for a minimum of 24 hours. 48 hours is better, and changes the depth of flavour considerably.

One shoulder per bag, with its marinade, a knob of butter, thyme, a tiny piece of cinnamon and a strip of orange peel. Avoid too much liquid and vacuum tightly.
For a sliceable fine dining texture: 74°C (165°F) for 24 hours. Tender, juicy and sliceable, with the collagen properly converted and nothing mushy about it.
For a softer, pull-apart texture: 78°C (172°F) for 30 to 36 hours. Almost silk-like, and made for a dramatic plated service.
To serve the same day, chill the bag in an ice bath for 20 to 30 minutes to firm the meat and set the juices, then finish it and serve it straight away. Do not hold it between the bath and the grill.
To hold it for a later service, keep it in the bag in an ice bath of roughly equal parts ice and water, topping up the ice as it melts, until a probe in the thickest part reads 21°C (70°F) or below within 2 hours and 5°C (41°F) or below within a further 4 hours. Record both readings, then refrigerate at 5°C (41°F) or below. A refrigerator alone cannot cool a 2.5 kg shoulder fast enough.
Strain the bag juices carefully and reserve them. They reduce into the sauce.

Finish on a charcoal grill or in a ripping hot oven.
You want dark edges, caramelisation, smoke and crisp fat, not prolonged cooking. This is a finish, not a second cooking.

The two programmes are alternatives, not stages. 74°C for 24 hours gives a shoulder you can slice. 78°C for 30 to 36 hours gives one that pulls apart.
The service yield is 8 main-course portions from each 2.5 kg shoulder, 48 from the full six, and the scaling on this page is built on it. For ordering, the production reference is 6 shoulders at 2.5 kg, 15 kg raw.
The jus is built from the bag liquid with lamb stock, a splash of red wine, saffron, roasted onion and a touch of honey, finished with cold butter and preserved lemon oil. It has direction but no quantities yet, so it is not a recipe of its own.
For a more perfumed marinade, add a tablespoon of rose water and a touch of orange blossom water. Very restrained: it should be an aroma, not a flavour.
It sits well with saffron yoghurt, smoked aubergine, charred onion petals, mint oil, pickled raisins, burnt citrus dust and grilled flatbread.