Decadent slow cooked Lamb shanks

LAMB SHANKS IN PORT AND RED WINE WITH SUN DRIED TOMATOES

My first signature dish, everyone needs a signature dish or two, maybe three. Something you cook really well.

This recipe I combined from a few recipes I’d seen and eaten.

My first experience of this recipe was at a country pub not too far from Bath, www.visitbath.co.uk. The meal was so popular at the pub you would have to give your order at the time of reserving a table.

When my daughter told me this I was wondering why it was so popular. Once eating the meal I knew why, it was very good. It had to be ordered in advance as it takes a few hours to cook.

My version is cooked wholly in my electric wok and slow cooker. You can use a heavy frying pan and a casserole dish in the oven. Or even completely on a low setting in your wok.

Now the recipe:

Ingredients:

Lamb shanks                           1 per person

Plain flour                          

Virgin olive oil

Sprigs of fresh rosemary                                   

Small onions                           2 or 3 per shank

Sundried tomatoes                  half a cup drained

Port                                           125 ml

Dry red wine                             375 ml                 

Chicken stock                          125ml

Chopped parsley

Method: 

Toss the lamb shanks in the flour:

Heat the olive oil and brown the shanks with a few  sprigs of rosemary.

Drain off the excess oil on kitchen roll:

Put the shanks into your slow cooker or slow cook in the oven:

Fry the onions with the rosemary for a few minutes to soften a little, I feel this brings out more of the onion flavour, remove the rosemary.

Add the onions, sun dried tomatoes, port, red wine and chicken stock.

Cook slowly 4 to 6 hours until shanks are fully cooked; i.e. flesh beginning to fall off the bone.

Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary towards end of cooking.

Remove shanks and keep warm. Put the heat setting on your slow cooker to high and simmer the juices until sauce thickens. Add corn flour thickener if necessary.

Sprinkle over the chopped parsley

Serve with broccoli or asparagus and fresh baby carrots.

I fry asparagus in a little olive oil and fresh ground black pepper and sprinkle with fresh lemon zest. Don't over cook the asparagus.

John’s style roast potatoes.

 Drinks, wine; a good quality rose or a light red wine. It is quite a rich dish so nothing too heavy.

Serve a lemon sorbet to clean the pallet before serving dessert.

Try a measure of peppermint liqueur or cordial with the lemon sorbet.

Something I found out getting rid of a bottle of Crème de Menthe.

Save the richer red wine and rest of the port for after dinner cheese and biscuits.