Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

To make good use of the casserole, I've decided to make another slow-cooked dish! Since mum has decided to go out with her friends on sunday, so this week I have plenty of time to do a nice meat dish! 

OK... time to flip through Jamie Oliver's book again!!! Project three of this long weekend - Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks. I love lamb, it's probably the meat that I enjoy eating the most! Some people can't stand that unique lamb flavour, but personally I think that flavour is what makes it so special and tasty! Absolutely love it! 

Serves 4

4 lamb shanks

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of coriander seeds

1 small dried red chilli

1 tbsp fresh rosemary

1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano

1 tbsp flour 

1 tbsp olive oil

1 clove of garlic, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely sliced

6 sticks of celery, finely sliced

2 medium onions, finely chopped

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

170ml dry white wine

6 anchovy fillets

2x400g tins of plum tomatoes

1 handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped 

1. Season the lamb with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Smash up the coriander seeds and dried chilli and mix with the chopped rosemary and dried marjoram. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it in well. Dust the lamb with flour. 

2. Heat the casserole pan, add the oil, and brown the meat. Remove from the pan. 

3. Add garlic, carrot, celery, onions and a pinch of salt and sweat them until softened. 

4. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to reduce to a syrup. Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 2min. Add the anchovies and then the tomato. 

5. Shake the pan and return the lamb to it. Bring to the boil. Put on lid and simmer in the oven at 180C for 1.5 hours, then remove the lid and cook for further 1/2 hour. 

6. Skim off any fat and taste for seasoning. Stir in a handful of roughly chopped parsley. 

I served this lamb shank with some balsamic mushroom and baked potato. Well, I didn't have enough time to bake it properly, even though I've already baked it for 40 odd minutes. =.="

Although this recipe has quite a few ingredients in it, but all these little ingredients add to the flavours! The meat was soft and off the bone, although the meat was the main ingredient of the dish, but I think the tomato base sauce was the BEST bit! I used the left over sauce to make it into angel hair topping for lunches the next day, and it was surprisingly DELICIOUS!!!!! With this pasta dish, I didn't have to add in any more salt and pepper at all, I think because the essence of lamb has already seeped through to the sauce during its 2 hours of cooking!!! So, remember to make use of every drop of the sauce when you try this recipe!