A crowd-pleasing dish to serve up for a family meal or dinner party, Imad Alarnab’s Kataf Ghanam recipe hails from Syria.

Kataf Ghanam (lamb shoulder)

Ingredients(Serves 4-6)For the marinade:5 garlic cloves, grated2 tablespoons smoked paprika1 tablespoon mild Madras curry powder½ tablespoon ground black pepper3cm piece of fresh ginger, grated1 tablespoon baharat (a spice mix blend)Juice of 1 lemon1 tablespoon tomato purée2 tablespoons red pepper pasteGood pinch of salt150ml olive oil

For the lamb:1.5-2kg lamb shoulder, bone in10 garlic cloves, peeled4 sprigs of thyme4 sprigs of rosemary

Method

1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients in a large container. Rub the marinade all over the lamb so it’s completely covered. Cover and marinate in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours, ideally overnight.

2. When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C/Fan 140°C/ gas 3.

3. Take the lamb from the fridge, then get a high-sided oven tray and line with a layer of foil and a layer of baking paper, large enough to cover the lamb. Add the garlic and herb sprigs to the middle, followed by the lamb and all the marinade (you can also add onions, carrots or potatoes at this stage, if you like). Fold the foil and baking paper over the lamb like a parcel, then flip it over and wrap it again in another layer of foil so the lamb is tightly wrapped and there are no gaps. We want to cook the lamb in its own juices, so it’s really important that it’s completely covered at this stage.

4. Place in the oven and cook for 4 hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove from the oven, unwrap, increase the temperature to 200°C/Fan 180°C/gas 6 and roast until browned on top.

Serve with kabsa rice or plain bulgur.

Imad’s Syrian Kitchen by Imad Alarnab is out now (HQ, £26)