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As
the days start to slowly shorten, with mornings getting a little darker
and chillier, I was reminded of this dish I made a few months ago, for Yuppiechef.
It was the first time I'd ever cooked lamb shanks, and wow, what an
amazing dish! I now don't think I'll cook them any other way - falling
of the bone, sweet, sticky and full of meaty flavour, I couldn't ask for
anyting more from a warming, comforting dish. The little mint salsa
adds extra zing and freshness - it uses so few ingredients, please don't
be tempted to leave it out. The lovely man (who hates mint sauce) was a
huge fan, so give it a try. To read my full review of Jamie's Great
Britain, click here.
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Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 red onions peeled and finely chopped
olive oil
sea salt and ground pepper
2 handfuls of raisins
3 tbsp thick-cut marmalade
1 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
200ml Guinness or smooth dark ale
6 lamb shanks, roughly 350g each
8 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 litre chicken stock
for the mint relish:
a small bunch of fresh mint leaves
a few tablespoons olive oil
2 spring onions, trimmed
cider vinegar
Method:
Place the onions in a large casserole-type pan (roughly 26cm in diameter and 12cm deep), with a little olive oil and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook over a medium to high heat, stirring as you go, until the onions start to caramelize. Add the raisins and marmalade, then add the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and ale. Stir to combine, and leave to simmer for a few minutes.
Put the lamb shanks into a large frying pan (roughly 30cm wide) on a medium to high heat with a little olive oil (you’ll need to cook them in batches). Turn them every few minutes until evenly browned. Use tongs to move the shanks into the pan of onions, then pour in all their juices. Add the stock and rosemary sprigs, put the lid on, turn down the heat and leave to slowly simmer for around 3 hours, or until the meat falls off the bone easily. Try to turn the shanks halfway through so they cook evenly.
When the lamb shanks are ready, carefully move them to a plate, making sure the meat stays intact (I found tongs and an egg lifter worked well here). Blend and strain the gravy through a sieve until smooth, then allow to reduce down and thicken back in the pot, over a high heat.
Place half the mint leaves in a pestle and mortar with a pinch of salt and the olive oil, and muddle till the leaves are broken. Add the spring onions, remaining mint leaves and cider vinegar, and sprinkle over the shanks before serving. By now the celeriac mash should be ready, so put it on a platter and put the lamb shanks on top (again, be gentle, so they don’t fall apart). Add a little splash of cider vinegar and a few more splashes of Worcestershire sauce to the sauce, then ladle it
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