Minted Braised Lamb Shank with Potato Rosti and Baby Carrots

Braised, Minted Lamb Shank

This has got to be one of the most popular meats I have served in 15 years of cooking, 

A slowly braised shank is moist and just falls of the bone at the touch of your fork. Cooked in its own stock it has a gelatinous texture, sticky to the touch. This is an excellent dish to cook at home as you can just leave it in the oven or slow cooker.

Marinating the meat over night is a good idea this can be done with many ingredients from simply rubbing with Mint sauce to mixing up a cocktail of infusions.

I highly recommend a simple Mint sauce marinade, it naturally go's well with the lamb and keeps its flavor during the long cooking period.

I like to cook this cut of lamb for approximately 3 hours at 175C.

To Braise the Lamb Shanks

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 

  Roughly Chopped Vegetables

  4 x Shanks of Lamb ( rubbed with mint sauce and left over night)
• 2 x Carrots ( roughly chopped)
• 8 x Baby Carrots
• 2 x Red Onions ( roughly chopped)
• 1 x Bulb of Garlic ( roughly chopped)
• 8 x Sprigs of Rosemary
• 1 x Large Glass of Red Wine
• 1 x Small Jar of Mint Sauce

This is how I did it.

1. 

   Cooked to perfection and falling of the bone

   In a deep roasting tray heat some vegetable oil and add the roughly chopped vegetables, followed by the Lamb Shanks and 3 of 4 sprigs of Rosemary, brown the vegetables and all sides of the lamb. ( the roasting tray will be smoking hot and will spit a little)
2. Poor in the red wine and reduce until almost gone, then cover the lamb with water. Add the baby carrots at this point. Bring to the boil on the hob then cover with tinfoil.
3. Place the roasting tray into the oven at 175 C for at least 3 hour making sure the liquid does not boil away.
4. After the lamb is cooked strain the lamb stock into a large sauce pan and boil the stock until it reduces to 1/3 of the original volume. Using a ladle or large spoon, skim off the oil and foam that will boil to the top of the stock, this should be done regularly to produce a clean grease free sauce. Once reduced season with salt and pepper and the sauce is done.
5. Lay the individual Shanks of Lamb onto a double layer of cling film and wrap them tightly, and squeeze the lamb to the bottom of the bone with the bone standing upright. This will help the lamb stand on the plate. Allow to stand for 5 minutes before unwrapping the lamb, it won't go cold while in the cling film.
   
   
   TIPS- The lamb can be cooked a day in advance and chilled once wrapped and shaped in the clingfilm, this gives a better and firmer shape to the shank, reheat the lamb in the braising stock whilst still wrapped in the clingfilm.
   
   

   

   Potato and Rosemary Rosti

   
   

   

   Grated Carrot and Potato

   For The Rosti Potatoes

Ingredients Serves 4-6

• 2 x Potatoes (Peeled and Washed)
• 2 x Carrots (Peeled and washed)
• 1 x tsp salt
• 1 x tsp Rosemary (Chopped)
• 75g x Butter (Melted)

1. 

   Crisp Golden  Brown Rosti

   Grate the Carrots and Potatoes in to a large bowl add the chopped Rosemary  and mix in a teaspoon of salt, mix well and leave to stand for 2 minutes. The water from the grated vegetables will start to come out due to the salt in the mix.
2. With both hands squeeze out the remaining water from the mix and place the dry grated veg and potatoes into a clean dry bowl. Add the melted butter and mix in well.
3. Roll or squeeze the mix into golf ball sized balls. Heat a non stick frying pan add a little oil, place in the mix and pat down a little to make small disks 2 cm high. ( I like to use metal rings or pastry cutters to shape the rosti)
4. Turn over the rosti mix after 1-2 minutes or when the bottom is a golden colour turn over and repeat on the other side. Place on a baking tray and cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes to cook through.
   TIPS-  Save cans that tuna and beans come in as you can make your own metal rings, by using a tin opener to take off the top and bottom, its cheaper than investing in expensive equipment and also its good to recycle.