Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks

Total Time: 8 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 8 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 6 lamb shanks, about 14 ounces each
• salt and pepper
• 1 onion
• 1 large turnip (or rutabega)
• 1 carrot
• 2 celery ribs
• 1 head garlic
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1 rosemary sprig
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed
• 1 teaspoon coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 parsley sprigs
• 1 (750 ml) bottle dry wine
• 1 quart water or 1 quart chicken broth or 1 quart lamb stock
• chopped parsley (to garnish) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
• 2 rub the shanks with salt and pepper, then place them meaty-side up in a roasting pan.
• 3 roast for 25 minutes, or until nicely browned.
• 4 remove from oven.
• 5 reduce oven temperature to 250 degrees.
• 6 heat the olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat.
• 7 add the vegetables and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables soften, then caramelize.
• 8 stir in the thyme, rosemary, fennel and coriander seeds, the peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley.
• 9 increase the heat to high, add the wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• 10 boil until the liquid has reduced by one third.
• 11 pour over the lamb, spreading the vegetables over, but not completely covering, the shanks.
• 12 add enough of the water, chicken broth or lamb stock to almost cover the meat.
• 13 cover the pan with aluminum foil and roast for 7 hours, basting with the pan juices every hour or so, and adding liquid as needed.
• 14 remove the foil during the last 30 minutes of cooking.
• 15 at this point, the lamb should be fork-tender and falling off the bone.
• 16 remove the shanks from the pan and let cool to room temperature.
• 17 strain the braising liquid, pushing on the vegetables to get all of their goodness and skim off the fat. best to refrigerate overnight and skim off the solidified fat.
• 18 when ready to serve, slowly reheat the shanks in the braising liquid.
• 19 to serve, roast your favorite root vegetables and spoon onto serving plates, center a lamb shank on each plate and spoon a little of the braising liquid over the top.
• 20 garnish with parsley, if desired.