Di’s Lamb Shanks

Di’s Lamb Shanks

Serves 4-6

What could be any better than lamb shanks and mashed potato on a cold winter’s night? I think it is even a match for Italian Osso Buco! This dish is perfect for those cold stay-at-home weekends when you’ve got time to do some slow cooking.

A filling winter warmer and real comfort food. Don’t forget to team it up with your  favourite red wine.   

Ingredients

• 3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 medium brown onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped into small dice
• 2 stalks celery, chopped into small dice
• 2 middle rashers of bacon, trimmed, diced
• 1/2 cup gluten-free plain flour
• 6 French-trimmed lamb shanks
• 1 cup red wine
• 1½ cups tomato passata sauce
• 2 cups beef stock
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dried
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary
• Dash Worcestershire sauce
• 1 heaped tsp sugar
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Creamy potato mash and steamed green beans, to serve
• Gremolata, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C fan-forced. Heat 1 tblsp oil in a large flameproof, heavy-based casserole dish over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, carrot, celery and bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until onion has softened. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
2. Place flour and shanks in a large snap-lock bag and season with salt and pepper. Seal, then shake to coat. Shake off any excess flour. Heat remaining oil in pan over high heat. Cook shanks, turning, for 5 minutes or until browned well. Transfer to a plate.
3. Return vegetables and bacon to pan. Add wine and bring to the boil. Boil for 2-3 minutes, stirring to scrape up any residue from the bottom of the pan. Add passata, 1½ cups of stock, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to the boil, stirring, then return shanks to pan. Season. Cover and place in oven.
4. Bake for 2½-3 hours or until shanks are very tender and falling off the bone. Turn shanks and spoon sauce over 2 or 3 times during cooking, adding a little more stock if sauce becomes too thick. Remove from oven and discard herbs. Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.

Serve shanks and a generous amount of sauce on creamy potato mash with steamed green beans. Serve with a small bowl of gremolata to sprinkle over the top (optional).

Gremolata

• Chop a small bunch of parsley coarsely (about ½ cup).
• Grate a clove of garlic and the zest of 1 large lemon over the parsley.
• Continue to chop the parsley, mixing in the garlic and lemon, until the parsley is very fine. Transfer to a small bowl.