Hāngī-Style Slow-Roasted Lamb

About This Recipe

While nothing replicates the full magic of an earth-oven hāngī, this oven adaptation captures the essence of the technique using a tightly sealed roasting dish and wet aromatics. New Zealand lamb is world-renowned for its sweetness and tenderness, a result of the animals grazing on lush green pastures year-round. This dish combines that prized lamb with kumara, garlic, rosemary and native kawakawa leaves (or bay leaf as a substitute) to produce a deeply satisfying, slow-cooked centrepiece.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 2 kgbone-in lamb shoulder
• 6 clovesgarlic, halved lengthways
• 4 sprigsfresh rosemary
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 1 tbspsalt flakes
• 1 tspcracked black pepper
• 1 tspsmoked paprika
• 600 gkumara (orange sweet potato), peeled and cubed
• 400 gAgria potatoes, quartered
• 2 mediumonions, quartered
• 250 mlchicken or vegetable stock
• 4 leaveskawakawa or bay leaves

Instructions

1. 1

   Score and stud the lamb

   Using a sharp knife, make 12 deep incisions across the lamb shoulder. Push a halved garlic clove and a small sprig of rosemary into each cut.

2. 2

   Season generously

   Rub the lamb all over with olive oil, salt, pepper and smoked paprika. Leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.

3. 3

   Build the base

   Preheat oven to 160 °C. Scatter kumara, potatoes, and onions in a deep roasting dish. Pour in stock and add kawakawa or bay leaves.

4. 4

   Roast covered

   Place the lamb on top of the vegetables. Cover the dish tightly with two layers of foil. Roast for 3.5 hours.

5. 5

   Uncover and caramelise

   Remove foil, increase oven to 220 °C and roast for a further 30 minutes until the lamb is deeply golden and the edges are caramelised.

6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Rest the lamb for 20 minutes, loosely covered. The meat should pull apart easily with two forks. Serve with the vegetables and pan juices.

Variations

• •

  Use mutton for a stronger, more traditional flavour.

• •

  Add pumpkin and parsnip to the vegetable base.

• •

  Rub with miso and honey for a fusion twist.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days. Reheat in a covered dish with a little stock.

Frequently Asked Questions