Luma Winterlicious: A Savoury Antidote to Winter

For two scrumptious weeks, Winterlicious Toronto features a diverse collection of delicious three-course prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus at more than 200 top restaurants, including Luma, perched on the second floor of the TIFF Bell Lightbox and serving creative Canadian fare. Drawing on the multicultural landscape of Toronto, Chef Michael Wilson brings forward his elevated, fresh take on world cuisine with a Winterlicious menu of seasonally inspired dishes, that features Mediterranean-inspired Lamb Shanks with fermented tomato, turnip, Israeli couscous, shishito pepper, preserved lemon and pistachios, Italian Squash Malfada with sage, apple and pecans and his fork-tender Braised Pork Shoulder with parsnip latkes, mustard greens, caramelized apple and chive crème fraîche. With floor-to-ceiling windows and outstanding views of King Street West, Luma's warm and inviting dining room of rich woods, leather, natural stone and friendly professional staff, provides a delicious antidote to the coldest winter in Toronto since the 1960s.

For two scrumptious weeks, Winterlicious Toronto features a diverse collection of delicious 

3-course prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus at more than 200 top restaurants

Anthìlia Catarratto, a lovely crisp Sicilian wine by Donnafugata

House baked bread and whipped butter with a drizzle of truffle honey

Sweet Potato Soup with smoked pear compote

Braised lamb Shank with fermented tomato, turnip, Israeli couscous, shishito pepper, 

preserved lemon and pistachios

Steelhead Trout with squash, dukkah, prairie grains, kale and maple sponge toffee

Braised Pork Shoulder with parsnip latkes, caramelized apple, mustard greens 

and chive crème fraîche

Squash Malfada with sage, apple and pecans

www.lumarestaurant.com

Braised Lamb Shank

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Chef Michael Wilson & Senior Sous Chef Michael Vieira 

2 lamb shanks, bone-in

2 cups red wine

16 cups lamb or veal stock, or enough to almost cover the lamb shanks

1 large carrot, roughly chopped

3 sticks celery, roughly chopped

1 large onion, roughly chopped

3 sprigs rosemary, roughly chopped

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup vegetable oil

Cooked Israeli couscous

1 cup fermented or normal tomato sauce

1 handful of oven-dried tomatoes

1 bunch baby turnip, boiled and tossed in butter

1 preserved lemon, thoroughly rinsed and julienned

1 handful toasted pistachios, crushed

Salt and pepper

Make an incision into the thin, top part of the lamb shank, all the way around the outside of the bone. Season the lamb shank heavily with salt and pepper.

Heat a small amount of vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Sear the lamb shank, turning it every minute, until it’s a deep, golden brown colour. Remove the lamb shank from the pan and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat. Add red wine to the oil in the pan and mix it all together at once. Place the pan back on the stove over low heat and reduce the mixture until there’s almost no liquid left, creating a glacé. Bring the stock, glacé, lamb shank, rosemary, garlic, carrot, onion and celery to a boil in the braising pot and cover it with a lid. Make sure the meat is covered three-quarters in the stock. Place the braising pot in the oven at 275°F for three hours, flipping the lamb shank every 45 minutes.

Take the lamb shank out of the oven, and set aside until you are ready to serve.

Take a small amount of liquid out of the braising pot to make the jus. Reduce the liquid in a separate pan until it thickens. Heat the pre-cooked couscous, oven-dried tomatoes and tomato sauce together in a pan, and add it to the plate. Drizzle most of the jus over the meat, but save a small amount for the end. Sprinkle the crushed roasted pistachios on top the meat, and then plate it on top of the couscous mixture. Add the boiled turnips, grilled shishito peppers and preserved lemons to the plate. Drizzle the final amount of jus around the plate.