Meltingly tender lamb shank, shiitake mushroom risotto and a glossy glaze, – slow-cooked food at its very best.
Wow, this is a recipe I have really been looking forward to sharing here on the blog, – it tastes so good.
The lamb shanks are first cooked in a pot for about 3 hours, then finished in the oven for 30 minutes. The meat is meltingly tender, juicy and full of flavour.
The stock is reduced to the most wonderful glaze, – soft, rounded and packed with flavour.
The risotto is made with shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped so the texture stays soft and smooth, – and of course a good amount of parmesan too.
If you can’t get hold of shiitake, simply use other mushrooms.
I love braised meat, and a lamb shank like this is truly one of my favourites.
Braised lamb shank – Perfect for guests
This dish is ideal when you have guests coming, as everything can be prepped and chopped in advance.
All the vegetables, including those for the risotto, can be prepared, the cheese grated, the stock and wine measured out and so on.
The shanks need 3 hours in the pot, so they can go on before your guests arrive, – and then it is simply a matter of putting them in the oven once they have simmered for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, make the risotto and reduce the glaze.
It is a really easy meal to put together, – and the flavour is absolutely wonderful.
Braised Lamb Shank with Risotto and Shiitake
Ingredients
Braised lamb shanks
- 4 lamb shanks
- 3 carrots
- 4 sticks celery
- 3 parsley roots or parsnips
- 3 onions
- 6 cloves garlic
- 5 sprigs rosemary
- 5 sprigs thyme
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 tbsp plain flour
- 500 ml red wine
- 1 1/2 l stock – chicken or vegetable
- Salt and pepper
- Oil
Glaze
- Stock from the shanks
- 40 g butter
- Salt and pepper
- Gravy browning (optional)
Shiitake risotto
- 350 g risotto rice
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 300 g shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
- 150 g parmesan, finely grated
- 400 ml dry white wine
- 900 ml stock, chicken or vegetable
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
To serve
- Finely chopped parsley, to serve
Method
Braised lamb shanks
- Rinse and trim/peel the vegetables, and cut them into large chunks.
- Heat a large pot and brown the shanks well in a generous glug of oil. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Lift out the shanks and set them aside.
- Add all the vegetables to the pot and sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
- Add the tomato purée and cook for about a minute, then sprinkle the flour over. Stir well to combine.
- Add the herbs to the pot, pour in the red wine and let it bubble over a high heat for about 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, return the shanks to the pot and leave them to simmer for about 3 hours, – with the lid on.Check on the shanks as they cook, and lift the lid slightly for the last half hour if needed.
- Preheat the oven to 120°C (conventional oven) when the 3 hours are nearly up.
- Carefully lift out the shanks and place them in an ovenproof dish with the bones pointing upwards.Cook the shanks in the oven for about 30 minutes. Spoon a little of the stock/glaze over them a couple of times during cooking.
Glaze
- Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and pour it into a smaller saucepan.
- Reduce it over a high heat until it thickens slightly.
- Whisk in the butter just before serving, and season to taste with salt and pepper.Adjust the colour with gravy browning if you like.
Shiitake risotto
- Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the mushrooms until they have released all their liquid.
- Add the shallots and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.
- Add the rice and cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat.Add more oil if needed.
- Pour in the white wine and let it reduce well.
- Then add the stock a little at a time, and cook the risotto over a low-medium heat until the rice is al dente.This takes about 20 min, – stir as you go, and keep adding stock so the rice doesn’t catch on the bottom.The risotto should be soft and creamy.
- When the risotto is cooked to your liking, stir in the parmesan and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. Adjust the consistency with a little more hot stock if needed.
Plating – Braised lamb shank with risotto and shiitake
- Pour a little glaze into the bottom of each shallow bowl.
- Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of risotto onto one side, and place the shank on the other side.*It is worth "brushing" the shanks with a little glaze – it gives them a beautiful glossy finish.
- Scatter with parsley, and add a little freshly ground pepper if you like.Serve immediately.
Nutrition
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