This simple and tasty recipe was floating around of facebook a couple of weeks ago and my lamb loving husband emailed me the link saying “Idea?” which is his understated and unpressuring way of saying “We should totally make this very soon!”. The following Saturday proved the perfect occasion to give it a go as we were heading out to the river for a day of ‘day camping’ where we took the BBQ and some chairs and pretended we were there for days on end, chilling out and doing nothing but chatting, eating and throwing rocks in the water. By the time we got home, this yummy lamb which had been cooking all day was ready and from slow cooker to plate, it took very little time and energy to serve. The quantities below serves at least 15 people for around $36 ($2.40 per person), so if you only need dinner for 6-8, just halve everything, which also halves the cost. But if you need to cook for a crowd after being at work or tied up with other things all day, this is a great option. 

• 2kg leg of lamb or hoggett, either on the bone or deboned and rolled
• 1tbs of peanut oil
• 1/2 a cup of kecap manis (indonesian sweet soy)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/4 cup of rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup of brown sugar
• 3 star anise
• 2 stalks fresh lemon grass, beaten and bruised (I use the one in the tube)
• 8 cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped 
• 4 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped 
• 1 large red chilli, roughly chopped 
• 6 green onions, sliced diagonally and/or bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• 1 tbs of toasted sesame seeds (optional)
• 5x 200g packets rice stick noodles (each 200g packet serves three adults)

1. Brown the lamb all over in a rather hot frypan using the peanut oil (or not – seriously, it’s not essential you do this), and stick it in the bowl of a slow cooker.
2. In a bowl combine all the other ingredients except sesame seeds, green onions/coriander and noodles. Pour over lamb and switch to low for the whole day or high for half a day of cooking.
3. When cooked through, just before serving, remove lamb from the slow cooker and sieve the juices into a small saucepan. Simmer these juices on a low heat until reduced into a sticky sauce. If it thickens too much, whisk in some water to bring back to a sauce consistency. 
4. Shred lamb with two forks on a chopping board and serve on top of rice noodles cooked quickly in boiling water according to packet instructions. Drizzle sauce all over, distributing it generously and evenly among the plates. Be heavy handed as it’s the sauce that makes this so good. Top with sesame seeds, shredded spring onions and/or coriander leaves. Enjoy!