Beautiful lamb shanks (with tomatoes, chillies & garlic)

Category

Yields1 Serving

 3 smoked ancho chillies
 1 large handful of raisins
 285 ml unsweetened apple juice
 4 lamb shanks
 olive oil
 3 red onions
 8 cloves of garlic
 3 fresh red chillies
 1 tsp smoked paprika
 3 fresh bay leaves
 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
 400 g tin of quality plum tomatoes
 750 ml organic chicken stock , optional
 red wine vinegar

1

Preheat your oven to full whack. Put the dried chillies, raisins and apple juice in a bowl, then set aside.

2

Put the lamb shanks in a roasting tray, then rub all over with oil, sea salt and black pepper. Bang them in the oven for 20 minutes.

3

As they’re browning, peel and finely chop the onions, peel and finely slice the garlic, then halve and deseed the chillies.

4

Get a casserole pan that will fit the shanks quite snugly — about 24cm in diameter and 10cm deep. Put it on a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil, the onions, garlic, fresh chilli, smoked paprika, bay leaves and rosemary. Leave to sweat for about 10 minutes.

5

Once the onions have softened, put the rehydrated chillies and raisins into a food processor or liquidizer, along with any leftover apple juice, then blitz (feel free to sneak in a swig of red wine or bourbon here!) until you’ve got a paste. Stir this into your onions.

6

Take your shanks out of the oven and turn the temperature down to 140°C/275°F/gas 1.

7

Add the shanks to the casserole pan along with your tinned tomatoes and stock (if using) or equal amounts of water.

8

Stir everything together, cover and put in the oven to stew for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce is thick, topping up with water or stock as you go.

9

Take it out of the oven, have a taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of vinegar. Serve with steamed greens, mash, flatbreads, or whatever you fancy.

10

Tips
To give it a kick up the backside, I like to finely chop up a garlic clove and a little fresh chilli, then mash them with a pinch of salt and stir it through before serving for an extra punch.

Ingredients

 3 smoked ancho chillies
 1 large handful of raisins
 285 ml unsweetened apple juice
 4 lamb shanks
 olive oil
 3 red onions
 8 cloves of garlic
 3 fresh red chillies
 1 tsp smoked paprika
 3 fresh bay leaves
 3 sprigs of fresh rosemary
 400 g tin of quality plum tomatoes
 750 ml organic chicken stock , optional
 red wine vinegar

Directions

1

Preheat your oven to full whack. Put the dried chillies, raisins and apple juice in a bowl, then set aside.

2

Put the lamb shanks in a roasting tray, then rub all over with oil, sea salt and black pepper. Bang them in the oven for 20 minutes.

3

As they’re browning, peel and finely chop the onions, peel and finely slice the garlic, then halve and deseed the chillies.

4

Get a casserole pan that will fit the shanks quite snugly — about 24cm in diameter and 10cm deep. Put it on a medium heat and add a lug of olive oil, the onions, garlic, fresh chilli, smoked paprika, bay leaves and rosemary. Leave to sweat for about 10 minutes.

5

Once the onions have softened, put the rehydrated chillies and raisins into a food processor or liquidizer, along with any leftover apple juice, then blitz (feel free to sneak in a swig of red wine or bourbon here!) until you’ve got a paste. Stir this into your onions.

6

Take your shanks out of the oven and turn the temperature down to 140°C/275°F/gas 1.

7

Add the shanks to the casserole pan along with your tinned tomatoes and stock (if using) or equal amounts of water.

8

Stir everything together, cover and put in the oven to stew for 2 hours 30 minutes to 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone and the sauce is thick, topping up with water or stock as you go.

9

Take it out of the oven, have a taste and season with salt and pepper and a dash of vinegar. Serve with steamed greens, mash, flatbreads, or whatever you fancy.

10

Tips
To give it a kick up the backside, I like to finely chop up a garlic clove and a little fresh chilli, then mash them with a pinch of salt and stir it through before serving for an extra punch.

Beautiful lamb shanks (with tomatoes, chillies & garlic)