A few years ago, my husband and I were on our first trip to Paris and it was then when we tried the lamb shanks braised in red wine for the first time. The dish was absolutely delicious and immediately felt an urge to create my own version. It took me a while to perfect my recipe but now I can proudly say that this dish is a star of the dinner when we invite guests.
Ingredients
For the braised lamb:
- 4 lamb shanks (dried with paper towel and rubbed with salt and pepper)
- 370ml beef or chicken stock
- 50ml balsamic vinegar
- 3tbs honey
- 2tbs Dijon mustard
- 30 chopped prunes
- 3tbs corn or potato starch
- 8 thinly sliced shallots
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1-2 star anise
- 370ml port wine (for example the Sandeman Ruby Port)
- olive oil for frying
- salt and pepper for seasoning
For the Celeriac sauce with apples and bacon:
- 1tbs olive oil
- 500g (a bit more than 1lb or 3 cups) peeled and diced celery root
- 50g peeled and diced Yukon gold potato
- 130ml white wine(optional)
- 370ml chicken or vegetable broth
- 120ml heavy cream
- 220g bacon
- 2 granny smith apples peeled and small diced
- Bunch of chopped celery leaves
For the pearl couscous:
- 200g pearl couscous (Israeli ptitim)
- 1tbs olive oil
Instructions
Braised Lamb
For the base, mix together in a medium bowl the balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, cornstarch and beef stock. Once the mixture texture is consistent add in the chopped prunes and set aside.
Brown the shanks in batches using a large cast iron pan or your favorite skillet that works for searing. Place the shanks into a slow cooker.
Brown the shallots with garlic in the same pan. Add the cinnamon stick and star anise, cook all together for 2 more minutes on low. Deglaze with the port wine. Mix everything from the pan with the base and add to the slow cooker. Stir a bit to make sure that the mixture covers the shanks. Cook on low for 9 hours. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Alternatively, you can cook on the stove for 3-4 hours. When the lamb is ready the meat should easily fall off the bone if you touch it with a fork.
Serve it over the pearl couscous, mashed potatoes, risotto or your favorite garnish!
Use the rest of the instructions only if you decided to serve the shanks with the pearl couscous.
The Celeriac Sauce and Pearl Couscous
Heat the olive oil and sauté the garlic until it softens, then add the celery root and potato, pour the white wine all over and cook on medium-high until everything begins to soften. Add the broth and cream, cover and cook until the vegetables are tender (about 40 min). Puree the sauce until silky smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Cook the bacon on a separate pan until it’s crunchy. Remove from the pan (preserving the fat) and let it dry on a paper towel.
Caramelize the apples in the bacon fat on medium heat until soft and brown on the edges. Mix them with the sauce and chopped celery leaves before serving.
In the meantime, cook the pearl couscous. Heat the olive oil and fry the couscous for a couple of minutes until it smells toasted then cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 7 minutes until the couscous is just tender.
Using a colander or sieve, drain the couscous (but keep a bit of the pasta water) and transfer to a medium pot. Turn on low simmer and start adding the sauce in batches until it looks almost “risotto” like. Add the pasta water if needed. Preserve the remaining sauce, freeze it and serve later with your favorite type of pasta. It’s very delicious!
Serve on heated plates, sprinkle with bacon and place the shanks on top.
I also decorated the dish with fried sage.
Bon Appétit
