We asked our resident chef Luke to cook up a storm and share his secrets. So if you fancy something special this Easter, pop open a bottle of red and tuck into Luke’s Lamb Shank with garlic & rosemary mashed potato with red wine gravy (serves 2).
Cooking time; 10 mins prep, 2-3 hour cooking
Ingredients
For the Lamb:
- 2 lamb Shanks
- 2 small onions, roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 400 ml red wine
- 400 ml beef stock
- 1 sprig rosemary
For the Garlic & Rosemary Mash
- 400g potatoes (Maris Piper is best) peeled and chopped into even pieces
- 50g unsalted butter
- 2 sprigs rosemary, stalks removed and finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 100ml milk
Method
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. In a large casserole dish, pour enough olive oil to cover the base and turn put it onto the hob on a medium heat until hot. Season the lamb shanks with salt & pepper and add to the dish. Brown on all sides (5-7 mins) and then set aside.
- Soften and brown the chopped onions and garlic and add to the dish (5mins), stir consistently and turn the heat down if cooking too quickly. Once ready, turn the heat up and add the red wine to deglaze the pan. Keep the wine boiling until the alcohol has evaporated.
- Add the beef stock and stir to mix with the wine. Then add the two lamb shanks and a sprig of rosemary. Cover with a lid and place in the centre of the oven for 2 hours, checking and occasionally turning the lamb throughout.
- Around 20 minutes before the lamb has finished cooking, remove the casserole dish lid and place back in the oven for the remainder of the cooking time.
- Boil a pan of salted water and add the potatoes. Cook for around 10/12 minutes or until a knife can cut through the potato easily. Drain and then place back in pan.
- In a small frying pan, melt the butter on a medium/low heat until bubbling and then add the chopped garlic and rosemary. Cook for around 4 minutes, making sure that the garlic doesn’t burn and then add to the pan with the potatoes. Add the milk and season with salt & pepper and then mash until creamy (TIP: after mashing, use a whisk to make the mash even silkier). Add a lid and set aside to keep warm.
- When the lamb is cooked, remove dish from the oven and set the lamb aside to rest. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a small pan so you’re left with just the gravy and then reduce down on the hob on a medium/high heat until thickened.
To Serve
Spoon the mashed potato into the centre of a plate or bowl. Pour the gravy around the mash and then add the lamb shank on top of the mash. Serve with your favourite side veg, some mint sauce if you like and a little sprig of rosemary on top of the lamb to show off a bit. Enjoy!
For a wine match check out our guide on pairing wine with meat.
Author – Luke Leeder
