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Lamb Shanks
Answer
Dear Ferlina
This recipe for braised lamb shanks cooks beautifully slowly in the Aga Simmering Oven. The long gentle cooking coaxes out the true depth of flavour and produces a meltingly tender result. There are also two progressively spicy variations below to try as well.
SLOW-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS
Serves 6 (or 4 greedy people)
3 lamb shanks
4 tbsp sunflower oil
24 shallots, whole, or 2 large onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, skinned and quartered
1/2 a cinnamon stick, broken into three
1 pt vegetable stock (Marigold bouillon powder is fine)
1/4 pt (150ml) red wine
3 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
a little dried rosemary
salt and freshly ground black pepper
beurre manié
1 oz (25g) soft butter
1 oz (25g) plain flour
a little cornflour or arrowroot
slaked in a cold water may be
used to thicken, if preferred
garnish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Arrange the shanks in the large Aga roasting tin with the shallots or onions, add the oil and turn until everything is well coated. Slide onto the runners near the top of the Roasting Oven. Allow the shanks to brown, turning twice over 25-30 minutes. Lift them out and drain off the fat and transfer to a deep casserole dish large enough to take the shanks plus vegetables.
Add the garlic and the remaining ingredients apart from the parsley and beurre manié (see below) and arrange the shanks so that their thickest parts are submerged with the bones standing upright. Bring to the boil on the Boiling Plate and cover with a lid. Transfer to the Simmering Oven for about 3 hours or until the meat is exceedingly tender and falling off the bone. Check and correct the seasoning of the liquid. Off the heat thicken with beurre manié (small pellets of soft butter and plain flour mixed 50:50). Stir until dissolved into the liquid then return to the Simmering Plate and allow to cook for 5-10 minutes, gently stirring so that the flour is thoroughly cooked and the sauce is thickened to your satisfaction, but be careful not to break up the tender meat.
Sprinkle the parsley over each shank when serving with the vegetables and juices. Serve with creamy mashed potatoes and a dish of wilted spinach, dressed with butter, black pepper and just a little freshly grated nutmeg.
VARIATIONS:
Hot & Spicy
For a zooshed up more spicy version, replace the cinnamon, wine, redcurrant jelly and rosemary with the following:
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp turmeric
1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp Kikkoman`s soy sauce
2 fl oz (50ml) dry sherry
garnish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Serve with Puy lentils home-cooked in stock or butter beans.
Easy Balti Shanks
This is my quick-and-easy interpretation of the delicious sauce I often enjoy at my favourite Indian restaurant in Wellington, Telford, a stone`s throw away from where Aga cookers are made. Replace the cinnamon, wine, redcurrant jelly and rosemary with the following:
2-3 tbsp of Mrs Patak`s Balti spice paste
6 cardamom pods, bruised
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato pur233]e
1/2 pt (300ml) thick Greek style yoghurt, added just before serving
garnish
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Happy cooking!
Best wishes
Richard Maggs
THE AGA COOKERY DOCTOR
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