Lamb Shanks with Caramelised onion
Description
To serve:
noodles tossed with olive oil, butter and parsley, or mashed potatoes parsley, thyme or rosemary sprigs
Ingredients
30 ml olive oil
1 ? - 2 kg lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
3 onions, finely diced
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely diced
2 large parsnips, finely diced
30 ml sun-dried or regular tomato paste
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
50 ml loosely packed fresh oreganum
500 ml good red wine
500 ml chicken or veal stock
250 ml tomato pur?e
15 ml balsamic vinegar
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
50 ml loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Caramelised baby onions:
500g baby onions
olive oil for roasting
1 ? - 2 kg lamb shanks, trimmed of fat
3 onions, finely diced
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 carrots, finely diced
2 large parsnips, finely diced
30 ml sun-dried or regular tomato paste
3 to 4 sprigs fresh thyme
50 ml loosely packed fresh oreganum
500 ml good red wine
500 ml chicken or veal stock
250 ml tomato pur?e
15 ml balsamic vinegar
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
50 ml loosely packed fresh basil leaves
Caramelised baby onions:
500g baby onions
olive oil for roasting
Methods/steps
Preheat the oven to 160? C
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan until the pan is really hot
Brown the shanks in batches, for about 5 minutes then place in a large casserole dish
Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until golden
Tip in the carrots and parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes
Add the tomato paste, thyme and oreganum and cook, still stirring, for 1 minute
Pour in the wine, stock, tomato pur?e and vinegar
Stir well to scrape up any of the caramelised bits from the bottom of pan and bring to a simmer
Ladle the vegetable mixture over the shanks in the casserole dish
Add salt and pepper
Cover the dish and place in the oven for 2 to
2? hours
About halfway through the cooking time, toss the baby onions with a little oil in a baking tin
Put these in the oven and roast to a deep brown
(If they?re still a bit pale when the lamb is ready, increase the oven temperature to 220? C to caramelise
)
When the lamb is lovely and tender, take it out of the oven and leave it to settle for 10 minutes
Blot up any fat on the surface with paper towels
You can serve this as is, bones and all on a bed of buttered noodles
Scatter the caramelised onions on top and garnish with a handful of fresh herbs
Heat a little oil in a large frying pan until the pan is really hot
Brown the shanks in batches, for about 5 minutes then place in a large casserole dish
Add the onion and garlic to the frying pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until golden
Tip in the carrots and parsnips and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes
Add the tomato paste, thyme and oreganum and cook, still stirring, for 1 minute
Pour in the wine, stock, tomato pur?e and vinegar
Stir well to scrape up any of the caramelised bits from the bottom of pan and bring to a simmer
Ladle the vegetable mixture over the shanks in the casserole dish
Add salt and pepper
Cover the dish and place in the oven for 2 to
2? hours
About halfway through the cooking time, toss the baby onions with a little oil in a baking tin
Put these in the oven and roast to a deep brown
(If they?re still a bit pale when the lamb is ready, increase the oven temperature to 220? C to caramelise
)
When the lamb is lovely and tender, take it out of the oven and leave it to settle for 10 minutes
Blot up any fat on the surface with paper towels
You can serve this as is, bones and all on a bed of buttered noodles
Scatter the caramelised onions on top and garnish with a handful of fresh herbs
Additional Tips
To serve:
noodles tossed with olive oil, butter and parsley, or mashed potatoes parsley, thyme or rosemary sprigs
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