Lamb Shank Casserole.... Mood = Winter approaches

As many of you know, or don't know Ramadan ended about a week ago and typically we would have a huge celebration for dinner which would have included many of my mothers famous and wonderful dishes, many of which would have included lamb. She arrived just after so i made my husband and i a lovely delicious fall off the bone lamb dish in my new lovely Le Creuset Casserole that he bought me. I love lamb shanks and more than i love lamb shanks, i love a good sauce to go with it. This recipe does not fail. Let me tell you that from now.

The sauce is rich and full of flavour and really brings out all the goodness of this dish. I made this with a side of Sweet potato and nutmeg mash. OH MY!

I wont keep you waiting for the recipe as it is just so unfair....

Recipe:

4 lamb shanks
Flour for coating
2 leeks
2 large Spanish onions
4 carrots
1 tomato
4 cloves of garlic
Fresh sprigs of Thyme and rosemary
3/4 bottle of red wine
600ml of beef/chicken stock
150g Lardons
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon of sugar

6 sweet potatoes
2Tablespoons of butter
1Teaspoon of nutmeg
1 small bunch of dill
salt and Pepper

Method:

• Get your casserole pot on the hob and season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper, and roll them in the flour. Place some olive oil into your casserole and begin searing the shanks until they have turned brown. This may take about 6-8 minutes. But it s worth it. It will hep with the final result.

• Once they have browned, remove them from the pot and add the tomato, chopped leeks, onions, carrots, thyme, bashed garlic, to the same pot with all the lamb residue.

• Brown and soften the vegetables.

• Once browned, add the lamb shanks and add the red wine and the stock. Place in the oven at the temperature of 150 degrees for the next 2-3 hours.

• You will get the most wonderful aroma wafting through your house. You can go out and leave this as the temperature is not high enough for a fire or for burning.

• You can make a lovely sweet potato mash while this is cooking.

• Simply boil some sweet potato in salted water, with skins removed, once they have had enough time remove water, add about 2 Tablespoons of butter a teaspoon of nutmeg some salt and pepper and mash. You can add more butter and some cream if you like., But i didn't. I like mine quite rustic and chunky. Add the dill right at the end.

• Now back to the lamb. When the lamb seems to be falling off the bone, remove them slowly and gently.

• Sieve the juices from the vegetables and then place the liquid back to a pan and begin to reduce.

• Let this come down by 2/3's

• Serve the mash with a lamb shank on tip and drizzle the lovely rich sauce over the top. If you have any sauce left over place it in a freezer bag and put it in the freezer. You can use it on beef fillet, other lamb dishes, anything meaty and have a ready sauce that taste delicious just waiting for you.

This is such an earthy, Autumn dish and you are going to love it. It requires some patience at the beginning and then 3 hours later. But totally worth it. And definitely one to make.