Lamb Shanks
I haven’t found it that easy to get hold of lamb shanks. Our butcher doesn’t sell them so I was happy to see them in Marks and Spencer which for me is a rare luxurious treat as I try to shop in independent local shops. I always come home with a packet of Percy Pigs for my son so my M&S visits become like a surprise! My family really love lamb and they have said this should go on this blog. If you do not have Umami paste, anchovies or pomegranate syrup in your cupboard, while hard to replace them exactly, you could add undiluted stock for a richer flavour or mushroom stock/flavour if you have any. Also a squeeze of ketchup or bbq sauce would be good. Really this can be mixed up with all sorts. My aim was both to get vegetables into my son by blending them, as well as having a smooth sauce with an interesting flavour.
Serves 8 (unless you have hungry people who eat 2 lamb shanks)
INGREDIENTS
oil
8 lamb shanks
2 large red onions
2 carrots
4 sticks celery
8 cloves garlic
3 tbsp tomato puree
200mls red wine
400mls chicken stock
400ms beef stock
3 anchovies
1 tbsp brown sugar
1tsp umami paste
1tbsp pomegranate molasses
Preheat the oven to 150C/300F
Chop the vegetables and set them aside in a bowl, ready to add to the pan when the lamb is browned.
Put some oil in a large casserole dish and add the lamb shanks, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper.
When they are browned all over remove the shanks from the oil into a bowl and set aside.
5. Add the chopped vegetables to the casserole dish and season and fry until glossy for 5 minutes before adding finely chopped garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. ~
6. Add the tomato puree and stir in, followed by the wine. Wait for a minute or so before adding the stock, chopped anchovies, pomegranate molasses, sugar and umami paste and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Return the lamb shanks to the casserole and with the lid on, put it in the oven for 7 hours. This is not an exact science, so check it after 5 and see if the lamb is tender and falls off the bone.
8. Remove the lamb from the casserole into a bowl and when it is cool, cover it and put it in the fridge.
9. Blend the liquid in the casserole with a stick blender preferably.
10. Put the lid on the liquid and put it in the fridge for 4 hours or overnight so that a layer of lamb fat will form on the surface which you can remove into a bowl for your dogs perhaps.
11. Return the shanks to the casserole dish and heat through before serving.
