Fiona’s Lamb Shanks with Creamy Mash, Green Beans & Caramelised Onions.

We recently sat down with Fiona from House and learnt she has a passion for cooking!  Not only did she share her Lamb Shanks recipe with us, we also found out a bit about her!  If you haven’t met Fiona, be sure to pop in and say hi!

What do you love about your job? I love being busy, meeting and helping people.  Especially to fulfill their cooking desires.

What’s the best thing you’ve brought this year?  The Diary Milk Chunky Nut Chocolate Bars!

What do you like to do in your free time? Spending it at home with my husband and pets and doing jobs on our acreage property – yes I like mowing!

Lamb Shanks with Creamy Mash, Green Beans & Caramelised Onions

Ingredients ( serves 4 people)

4 Lamb Shanks

1 Large Onion, diced

4 Large carrots, diced

1 Large Lemon

2+ Bay leaves

Minced garlic (tsp+)

Thyme

Rich Beef stock

Red wine – I like to use a Shiraz, but a Merlot does a good job too!

Salt & pepper

Vegetable/Canola oil

Caramelised Onions:

2 Medium sized Red onions, sliced crosswise into rings

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

Butter

I like to serve this with creamy, mashed potato and green beans.

Method:

1. Place Lamb shanks in a large rectangular dish and make deep piercings in the flesh.
2. Zest the lemon and sprinkle about half over the lamb shanks, reserving the rest for later. Squeeze all the juice over the lamb shanks and place the cut halves in the dish. Shred the leaves from several sprigs of thyme and at least a teaspoon of minced garlic over the meat.
3. Cover with cling wrap and leave in fridge for a couple of hours for the meat to absorb the flavours.
4. Using a large heavy pot ( suggest..Le Connoisseur 6.3 L we sell in store!) add a drip of oil, using a small piece of kitchen roll, wipe the oil around the inside of the pot, then put onto a medium heat to warm. Add the diced onion, turn the heat down low, cover with lid and allow to ‘sweat’ for 10 mins, to become soft and releasing the natural sugars from the onion. 
5. Now remove the onions from the pan, turn the heat up to medium again and add the lamb shanks one by one to seal them. It’s important to give the pot time to recover its heat between adding each shanks as you want to seal them, not stew them. Once golden brown, add the carrots, onions, all the juice, thyme leaves, garlic and lemon halves from the marinade to the pot, a couple of full sprigs of thyme, add a glass of red wine (don’t forget the need to sample a glass for the chef!) The bay leaves – I use at least 2 – and sufficient stock to cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, then place the lid on and put into the oven at 160 degrees for about 2 hours.
6. Remove the pot from the oven, lift out the lamb shanks and bay leaves, discard the lemon halves and woody stems of the thyme. Now, using a stick blender blitz the liquid to make a rich gravy. Season to taste. Once smooth, the lamb and bay leaves can be placed back into the pot, covered with the lid and returned to the oven, at a lower temperature of 140 until ready to serve.
7. Now to the Caramelised onions…in a small saucepan, a 16cm one would be ideal, melt over a low heat, a knob of butter, add the onion slices and put the lid on. Leave for about 15mins, until golden and soft.                                                               
8. Add the sugar and Balsamic vinegar, give it a good stir, then leave, without a lid, to simmer for another 15mins.
9. Meanwhile, make some beautiful soft mashed potato with plenty of butter in it and steam some green beans.
10. To plate up, place a generous dollop of mashed potato on to a pre warmed plate, use the back of a large serving spoon to create a ‘nest’ for the lamb shank to sit in, place meat on the top, with the green beans to the side. Using a ladle add the gravy to the plates. Sprinkle over the reserved lemon zest with some thymes leaves over the meat and serve, with a generous helping of the caramelised onions drizzled over the meat, and most importantly, a large glass of red wine!
11. Enjoy!