Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine & Rosemary

 

Braised Lamb Shanks are one of the ultimate comfort foods. A sensational dish that's cooked in an aromatic sauce for about 2-3 hours until the meat is so moist and tender, it's literally falling off the bone. 'Braising', from the french word 'braiser', is a cooking method that uses both moist and dry heat. The lamb shanks are first seared in some olive oil to brown the meat and enhance the flavour, then set aside, while chopped onions, carrots and garlic are sautéed in the same pot, then simmered with the seared lamb in an aromatic liquid of red wine, canned Marzano tomatoes, fresh rosemary, thyme, grated lemon peel and broth, creating the most wonderfully flavoured sauce. The lamb is braised for two hours or so, until the shanks are lovely, moist and tender, and then reduced a further 30 minutes until the sauce becomes quite thick and even more full flavoured. Just before serving the lamb, the shanks are basted with the sauce and served over a mound of silky smooth mashed potato, and for a final flourish — a towering sprig of fresh rosemary and a sprinkle of chopped parsley. 

Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary

Serves 2

Recipe courtesy of Epicurious

2 lamb shanks

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch-thick rounds

5 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 bottle dry red wine

1 14-oz can whole tomatoes with their juice

16 oz chicken broth

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1 tsp grated lemon peel

Fresh sprigs of rosemary, for garnish

Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Creamy Mashed Potatoes:

4 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered

3 tbsp butter

Maldon salt and white pepper, to taste

1/4 cup whole milk or light cream

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the shanks and cook until brown on all sides, about 8 minutes, then transfer to a bowl. Add the onions, carrots and garlic to the pot and sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in all of the remaining ingredients, then return the shanks to the pot, pressing down to ensure that they're submerged. Bring the liquids to boil, then cover and simmer in the oven for 2 hours. Then uncover the pot and continue cooking until the meat is very tender, about 30-40 minutes longer. 

Meanwhile, while the lamb is braising, begin to prepare the mashed potatoes. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook for 25-30 minutes until they are fork tender, then toss into a colander to drain. In the same pot, melt the butter over medium heat then add the potatoes and mash until smooth. Pour in the milk and blend to your desired consistency, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn the heat to very low and cover to keep warm until the lamb shanks are ready to be served.

Once the lamb is beautifully tender, transfer the shanks to a platter and tent with aluminum foil. Bring the juices to a boil and cook until thickened, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste if necessary. To serve, spoon some mashed potato in the centre of each dinner bowl, and lay a lamb shank over top. Ladle some of the sauce over or around the shanks and garnish with a sprig of rosemary and a flurry chopped parsley.