Lamb shanks braised in the oven with vegetables, garlic, wine,
and fresh herbs, served with creamy sweet corn polenta...
Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks
1/4 cup flour
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup olive oil
2 onions — chopped
4 celery stalks — diced
4 carrots — peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves — crushed
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 tsp lemon zest
500 ml red wine
2 bay leaves
400 g tinned tomatoes — crushed
1 tbsp tomato paste
500 ml lamb stock
For the gremolata
1/2 cup fresh parsley — chopped
1 garlic clove — minced
2 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest — optional
Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 170°C.
Mix together the flour, salt and pepper and dust the lamb with the seasoned flour, make sure each shank is well-covered.
Melt the butter in a large ovenproof casserole over high heat. Add the oil and place the shanks in the hot oil one at a time and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the shanks to a plate and keep on the side.
Lower the heat and sauté the onion, carrots, and celery. When tender add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and lemon zest and mix. Add the wine and loosen the bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the lamb shanks to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the bay leaves, tomatoes, tomato paste and stock, bring to the boil. Cover the pan tightly with a lid or tinfoil and place in the oven and cook for 2 hours, basting the lamb shanks every 30 minutes. The meat should be tender but not falling off the bone.
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