Braised Lamb Shanks with Rutabaga & Carrots
This is an excellent recipe that I found on Epicurious. However, I believe the directions need considerable revision. The original recipe instructed you to cook the raw rutabaga and carrots in the stew for 1/2 hour. Guess what I found at the end of the half hour? Very hard vegetables. I'm going to record the recipe the way that I think it should be made.
3 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)--the original recipe called for 6!
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium onions, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, minced
a 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon dried orange peel or dried lemon peel (I didn't have any orange)
2 teaspoons salt
1 medium rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 carrots, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Accompaniment: cooked brown rice
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat lamb shanks dry. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) large enough to fit 1 or 2 lamb shanks spray the pan with olive oil pan spray and heat the pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown lamb shanks, 1 or 2 at a time, transferring as browned to a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle. Pour off fat from skillet and cook onions in remaining 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. To kettle add onion mixture, tomatoes with juice, water, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, allspice, orange peel, salt, and pepper to taste and bring liquid to a boil. Braise lamb and vegetables, covered, in oven until just tender, about 1 3/4 hours.
Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim fat, discarding it, remove lamb from the bones. Add the meat back into the stew and reheat stew, if chilled, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Transfer lamb and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a platter and boil braising liquid until reduced to about 4 cups.
Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve the stew over rice.
Note: I think the stew would be equally tasty with other root vegetables, but I happened to have a large rutabaga to use.
Adapted from Epicurious.com
3 lamb shanks (about 1 pound each)--the original recipe called for 6!
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 medium onions, halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
3 large garlic cloves, minced
a 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped, with juice
4 cups water
1 bay leaf
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
3/4 teaspoon dried orange peel or dried lemon peel (I didn't have any orange)
2 teaspoons salt
1 medium rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
6 carrots, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
Accompaniment: cooked brown rice
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Pat lamb shanks dry. In a heavy skillet (preferably cast iron) large enough to fit 1 or 2 lamb shanks spray the pan with olive oil pan spray and heat the pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown lamb shanks, 1 or 2 at a time, transferring as browned to a 9-quart heavy ovenproof kettle. Pour off fat from skillet and cook onions in remaining 1 tablespoon oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden. Stir in garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. To kettle add onion mixture, tomatoes with juice, water, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, allspice, orange peel, salt, and pepper to taste and bring liquid to a boil. Braise lamb and vegetables, covered, in oven until just tender, about 1 3/4 hours.
Braised lamb shanks improve in flavor if made 1 day ahead. Cool mixture, uncovered, and chill, covered. Skim fat, discarding it, remove lamb from the bones. Add the meat back into the stew and reheat stew, if chilled, over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until hot. Transfer lamb and vegetables with a slotted spoon to a platter and boil braising liquid until reduced to about 4 cups.
Taste for seasoning and sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve the stew over rice.
Note: I think the stew would be equally tasty with other root vegetables, but I happened to have a large rutabaga to use.
Adapted from Epicurious.com
Comments