Grant Achatz’s Braised Lamb Shoulder with Cocoa & Cardamom

Ingredients

• 2.5 kg lamb shoulder, bone in
• 150 ml canola or grapeseed oil
• 3 onions, cut into large dice
• 2 small fennel bulbs, cut into large dice
• 75 gm ginger, finely grated
• 50 gm plain flour (1/3 cup)
• 40 gm garlic cloves, finely chopped (about ½ head)
• 30 gm long red chillies, thinly sliced
• 4 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and bruised with the back of a knife
• 2½ tsp Madras yellow curry powder
• Large pinch of saffron threads
• 250 ml lime juice (1 cup)
• 200 gm brown sugar
• 2 litres beef stock (8 cups)
• 800 gm eggplant, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 800 gm pumpkin, peeled, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 370 gm crème fraîche
• Coriander, mint and finely grated lime rind, to serve
• Aromatic sachet
• 50 gm cacao nibs
• 30 gm coriander seeds
• 30 gm Darjeeling tea leaves
• 12 gm fennel seeds
• 10 gm green cardamom pods, bruised
• 7 gm whole mace (see note)
• 5 gm cumin seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves