Braised Lamb Shank from Johnnie Fox
The chefs in Johnnie Fox’s labour over the dish allowing it to cook over a 24 hour period in a slow low oven, giving it the famous fall off the bone and melt in the mouth sensation. Johnnie Fox’s even claim the dish served in their pub can be eaten with a spoon!
Ingredients
| 4 x 400g | fore quarter lamb shanks |
| 500g | carrots, peeled and cubed |
| 500g | turnip, peeled and cubed |
| 2 | medium sized onions, peeled and quartered |
| 10 sprigs | fresh thyme |
| 10 sprigs | fresh rosemary |
| 6 cloves | garlic, whole and peeled |
| 500ml | red wine |
| 50g | plain flour |
| 2 x 50g portions | butter |
| 800g | rooster potatoes, peeled and halved |
| — | cream to taste |
| half a bunch | spring onion, sliced |
| — | salt and pepper to taste |
| — | water |
Instructions
Lamb Shank
- Place lamb shanks in an oven proof dish, add half of the vegetables and herbs and all the wine. Top up with water to almost cover the shanks. Gently season with salt and pepper.
- Put the lid on. If you don’t have a lid, cover the tray first with cling film then with tin foil, seal well.
- Place the tray in the middle of a preheated oven at 180°C and braise for 2 hours.
- At the end of 2 hours, sieve all the cooking liquid into the saucepan with the brown roux.
Brown Roux 5. As the shanks are cooking prepare the brown roux. 6. Melt the butter in a pan on a medium heat until it foams out. 7. Add flour (you can use gluten free option for the same amount). 8. Cook flour stirring constantly until it takes a dark golden-brown colour. 9. Whisk in the cooking liquid from the shanks. 10. Adjust seasoning.
Low Cook 11. Combine hot sauce with hot shanks in the same tray. 12. Add remaining vegetables and herbs. 13. Cover and cook in the oven at 130°C for 2 hours.
Mashed Potato 14. Potato will take about half an hour steamed or about 20 minutes boiled. Time it to match the shanks’ cooking time. 15. Mash, butter, cream and season. 16. Stir in spring onion.
Assemble the dish 17. In a wide and deep bowl, make a bed of mash potato. Lean lamb shank against the mash, the bone showing upright. Spoon in gravy and vegetables. Garnish with thyme and rosemary.
Serving Size: 4