I may have mentioned once or twice before on this site that I am lover of all things Yotam Ottolenghi. I love his cafes and restaurants (a must when I’m in London) and I love his recipes, which we make often here at home. His dishes are vibrant and inventive, and bring together diverse culinary traditions, and this recipe is the perfect example of him and his teams knack of combining bold flavours and textures.

Post Christmas I was idly scrolling through Instagram and came across a post from Ottolenghi talking about this recipe of Sticky Lamb Bao Buns by one of his team, Jake. Knowing I had a shoulder of lamb in the freezer and I do love bao buns, I couldn’t wait to give it a try!

This tender and aromatic sticky lamb is accompanied on the baos with pickled chillies and a scattering of coriander, bringing together a wonderful fusion of Middle Eastern and Asian flavors, offering a unique twist on the traditional bao bun. I often do find that Ottolenghi recipes need ingredients that require you to google what they are or order them from a specialist shop, but I am pleased to say this one is different, and has a lot less ingredients than most of his dishes.

This is a slow cooked dish, so do allow yourself plenty of time to cook it until it falls apart, the smell alone makes your kitchen smell like Christmas all over again!

Sticky Lamb Bao Buns with Pickled Chillies (Serves 6)

Ingredients

For the Sticky Lamb:

2 tbsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp sugar
2 tsp olive oil
2.25 kg lamb shoulder
3 celery sticks, roughly chopped
6 tangerines, sliced in half width ways
2 garlic bulbs, sliced in half width ways
4 banana shallots, peeled and cut half lengthways
10 anchovy fillets
7g fresh thyme
750ml chicken stock
Fine sea salt and black pepper

For the Pickled Chilli:

2 fresh red chillies, thinly sliced
100ml rice vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

For the Marmalade Glaze:

100ml bitter marmalade
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp aleppo chilli flakes
1 tsp mixed spice

For Building the Bao Buns:

24 bao, steamed according to pack instructions
20g coriander, roughly chopped
4 spring onions (50g), thinly sliced on an angle
½ cucumber, cut into thin batons

Method

1. First of all you need to marinate the lamb. This is a simple mix of the mixed spice, cumin, sugar and oil together with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and about 20 twists of black pepper.
2. Line a large roasting tray with some parchment paper, lightly score the skin of the lamb and rub the spice mix all over and marinate for at least an hour out of the fridge or overnight in the fridge (which is best!).
3. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 230°C.
4. Chop the remaining ingredients, place around the lamb with the stock and cover tightly with foil.
5. Place in the oven and roast for 15 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 160°C and cook for around 4 hours, checking and basting regularly.
6. Next you need to make the pickled chillies. Add the chopped chillies, herbs, sugar, vinegar, ⅛ tsp of salt and 60ml of water to a small saucepan and bring to the boil.
7. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime juice. Place in a bowl to one side to cool completely.
8. Then you need to make the marmalade glaze, which is simply to mix the ingredients together in a small bowl.
9. Take the lamb out of the oven and remove the foil. Brush the lamb all over with ¾ of the glaze, then place back in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
10. Take the tray out and brush everything with the remaining glaze. Leave to rest for 10 minutes.
11. Whilst still warm, remove the lamb from the tray and pull the meat apart and shred.
12. Take a bowl and sieve and pour the vegetables and juice from the tray into the sieve and squeeze out all that tasty liquid.
13. When ready to serve, place the shredded lamb in a bowl, and pour some of the liquid from the roasting tray on top, with the rest in bowls alongside for dipping.
14. Serve with a plate of steamed bao, along with a bowl of the pickled chillies and the sliced vegetables for your everyone to build their own buns.

The fluffy bao buns provide the perfect vessel for the savory, aromatic lamb, while the pickled chillies add a burst of tangy heat that cuts through the richness of the meat. The fresh coriander brings a touch of brightness, making each bite a harmonious blend of flavors and textures. This is a great dish for a group of family or friends to share, its so flavourful and tasty, and even though it takes a while to cook, it is worth it.

Have you tried making Ottolenghi’s Spiced Lamb and Pickled Chilli Bao Buns or any of his other recipes? Have you ever tried to make your own bao buns? Share your experiences in the comments!