Recipe ·
Braised Lamb shanks, with creamy mash and greens
Serves: Two adults | Prep and cooks time: 3 hours
Ingredients
For the braising
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- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2x lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat
- 1 white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 large carrots sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 3 tbsp flour
- 300ml beef stock
- 100ml cups red wine like Merlot, Pinot Noir, or a Chianti - optional. Substitute with extra stock).
- 400g passata
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh (or dried) parsley, finely chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt and pepper to season
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Method
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Wash and pat dry lamb shanks with paper towel.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a heavy based pot over medium-high heat. Sear shanks in the hot oil until browned on all sides.
- Transfer to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm, set aside.
- Sauté the carrots and diced onions until softened, (about 3 minutes), then add garlic and cook for 1 minute, in the same pan (do not clean the pan, you want the lamb juices)
- Return the shanks back into the pot; season with 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper. Sprinkle with flour, toss well and cook for 4-5 minutes to brown the flour.
- Add stock, wine, puree, tomato paste and herbs. Bring to a simmer on the stove.
- Cover, transfer to lower part of the oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is fall apart tender (adjust the heat so that the liquid simmers very slowly).
- After this time - Gently transfer the shanks onto a plate. Cover to keep warm.
- Discard the bay leaves from the sauce and place pot onto stove. Simmer sauce over medium heat until thickened to your desired consistency.
- You should be left with about 3 cups of sauce thick enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
- If the sauce is too thick, add a few tablespoons of stock. If the sauce is too thin, boil it over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until reduced to the right consistency.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper, if desired. Add the shanks back into the pot of sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes and fresh greens