Braised Lamb Shanks with Rosemary and Red Wine

I started a new job this week so in my determination to be organised I cleaned out the freezer. Lurking in the back were some lamb shanks I'd forgotten about. Lamb Shanks are one of my favourite cuts of lamb - they have such a lovely earthy flavour, and cooked well - slowly, on a low heat for a few hours, they'll be tender and delicate and loaded with the flavours you cook them with.

In my case I love pairing lamb with rosemary, it's one of those flavour combinations that just works. I also popped in some garlic, a good dollop of red wine and some beef stock. Simple comforting flavours and a hearty rich sauce that works well with garlicky mashed potatoes or like me, serve it with a baked pumpkin.


Braised Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Rosemary

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, sliced finely
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 3 fresh tomatoes, chopped finely, or 200 grams canned tomatoes
• 4 medium lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 100 mls red wine
• 500 mls beef stock
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• salt and black pepper to taste

Method

1. Sprinkle the lamb shanks with flour and brown in 1 tablespoon olive oil over a medium heat until browned all over. Set aside.
2. Tip off most of the oil from the pan. To the remaining oil add the minced garlic and onions and fry over a medium low heat until onions are soft (about 3 minutes). Add in the tomatoes and red wine and cook for 5 minutes until it resembles a sauce. Add thyme, rosemary and beef stock, season with some salt and pepper.
3. Add in beef stock and carrots.
4. Put lamb shanks into an oven dish, cover, pour sauce over the top and bake at 160 degree celsius (300 degrees fahrenheit) for 2 and a half hours, stirring occasionally.
5. Remove lamb shanks from pan, and thicken sauce with cornflour and water mixture.