Herb Infused Lamb Shank in White Wine with Mustard Mash

 

This is a different way of doing Lamb Shanks, by cooking the white wine, herbs and vegetables together it adds a fresher taste to a much loved cut of meat. Serve with creamy Mustard mash. Great Sunday lunch or having people over.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS:


2 Lamb Shanks (from a quality Butchers)
4 Sprigs of Rosemary
2 Sprigs of fresh Thyme
10 Sage Leaves
70g Butter
6 Cloves of Garlic, Unpeeled
1 Large Carrot, peeled and finely sliced
1 Leek, washed, halved, and finely sliced
1 large Glass of White Wine
1 Onion, peeled and finely sliced
Sea Salt
Ground pepper

Mustard Mash

6 large White Potato's, peeled and chopped
Dijon Mustard
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper


WHAT TO DO:

Turn the oven to 200c. Pick the leaves off 2 sprigs of rosemary, the thyme and 8 sage leaves, put in a food mixer with the butter. season with salt and pepper and blitz together.

Using a small knife, slide the knife up the bone and make a whole. Take some of the whizzed up butter and push it into the pockets you've just made. This will flavour the shanks right to the core.

Tear off 2 arms-length sheets of tin foil. Divide the sliced veg between the two and add the garlic and remaining sage leaves, making a pile in the middle of each sheet.

Rub the lamb Shanks with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the shanks on top of the pile of veg, adding the rosemary and the thyme to each pile. Carefully pull up the tin foil around the shank and pour half the wine into each parcel. Then gather the foil around the bone of the shank, and pinch together tightly.

Place both shank parcels on a baking tray, with the bones facing up (see picture). Put them into the preheated oven for 2 1/2hrs (for a fan assisted oven), until the meat is tender.

Handy Hint:

Check the parcels after 1 1/2hrs to make sure the liquid has not evaporated. If needed add more wine.


Mustard Mash:

With half an hour of the lamb cooking time left, put the potatoes into a pan of boiling water, cook until soft when prodded with a knife.

Once cooked, drain the potatoes and put them back in the pan. Pour a good glug of Olive oil into the pan and breakdown with a potato masher (you can also use a potato ricer if you have one, easy and same results).

Once mashed up, take a strong wooden spoon and mix the mash until smooth (you will have to put some effort into this as you want NO lumps and to be creamy). Once the potato is smooth, mix in about 3/4 teaspoon of mustard (depending on your how mustardy you want it) and mix together well. 

Plate up each Lamb Shank with the veg and the juices, spooning on some mash on the side.


Recipe by Jamie Oliver

Photos by Rach Grice

Melt in the Mouth Stew

This stew has been tried and tested, a favourite of everyone who tries it. It is a great winter warmer and is even better the next day! Mustard mash is great to serve with this, but be sure to use good quality red wine!

Serves 6/8

INGREDIENTS:

2lb of diced stewing beef (from a quality butchers)
Chantenay Carrots
Button Mushrooms
Shallots
Plum Tomatoes
Plain Flour
Sea Salt
Ground Pepper
Chicken Stock
Red Wine
Crusty Loaf
2 Garlic Cloves
5 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
5 Sprigs of Rosemary
2 tsp of Ground Ginger

WHAT TO DO:

In a big casserole pan heat a good glug of olive oil. In a bowl, put 2 cups of plain flour and add salt and pepper to season. Then in batches put in the diced beef, coating the beef in the flour.

In batches fry in the beef in the pan until brown, and put to one side (the bottom of the pan will have knarly bits in, DO NOT get rid of this as this is where the flavour comes from). Put the onions, carrots, rosemary, thyme, ginger, salt and pepper in the pan and fry until coloured.

Pour the wine into the pan and deglaze (deglazing is when you put fluid into a pan and scrape the pan of the encrusted flour and meat from the bottom), reducing the wine.

Put the meat back in the pan and stir adding the stock, then add the tomatoes, mushrooms and gently mix.

Handy Tip:

Add the tomato's and mushrooms at the end as you do not want to break them up by stirring.

Take some tin foil, double fold and tightly cover the top of the pan. Place the lid on top of the foil and place in a preheated oven 180c for 3 & 1/2hrs.

The stew is ready when you touch the meat and it breaks apart and when the fluid in the pan has reduced and thickened.

Check the stew and see if it needs seasoning.

Serve with crusty bread or mustard mash.

Recipe by Matt Grice

Photo taken by Rach Grice