Braised Lamb Shanks served with Polenta

Impress your guests with this hearty and filling dish that’s also quite easy to make! The shanks are simply braised until tender and can be made a few days in advance and warmed in the sauce when ready to serve. Cheesy polenta is the perfect comforting accompaniment. This recipe uses stone ground polenta for more texture and flavour, but you can use any polenta you can find. Try pairing this recipe with Carinena Reserva Monasterio de Las or Shiraz Pirramimma McLaren Vale 2019

Ingredients

Serves 6

2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

6 lamb shanks

2 tsp (10 ml) salt

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1 large onion, sliced

2 medium carrots, cut into 2-in (5 cm) pieces

¼ cup (60 ml) tomato paste

1 cup (250 ml) red wine

3 cups (750 ml) beef stock

1 bay leaf

1 sprig fresh rosemary

3 sprigs fresh thyme

GREMOLATA

1 bunch fresh parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 capers, minced

1 chili, finely chopped (optional)

1 tbsp (15 ml) red wine vinegar

3 tbsp (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

POLENTA

4 cups (1 L) water

1 cup (250 ml) milk

2 tsp (10 ml) salt

1½ cups (375 ml) stone-ground polenta

½ cup (125 ml) grated Parmesan

2 tbsp (30 ml) butter

Instructions

To prepare Lamb, preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). In a large Dutch oven or frying pan over medium-high heat, heat oil until it shimmers.
Season lamb with salt and pepper. In batches, sear lamb until golden brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pan and set aside.
Turn heat to low and add onions and carrots. Sweat until onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and continue cooking until tomato paste has slightly caramelized, 5 to 8 minutes. Deglaze with wine.
Return lamb shanks to Dutch oven, if using (if you used a frying pan, follow method in next step instead). Add stock and enough water to cover lamb. Add bay leaf, rosemary and thyme and bring to a boil. Cover with lid and place in oven. Cook for 2 hours, or until lamb is tender.
If you used a frying pan, put seared lamb shanks in an ovenproof casserole large enough to fit all shanks. Add stock to frying pan with tomato and vegetable mixture, bring to a boil over high heat, then pour over lamb. Add water to cover. Add bay leaf, rosemary and thyme, cover with foil and cook in oven for 2 hours, or until lamb is tender.
While lamb is cooking, make Gremolata. In a small bowl, mix parsley, lemon zest and juice, anchovies, garlic, capers, chili (if desired), red wine vinegar and olive oil. Check seasoning and adjust. Cover and keep in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Once lamb is cooked, remove it from cooking liquid and keep warm in oven covered with foil. Remove and discard carrots and herbs. Let liquid sit for 10 minutes, then remove excess fat that floats to top. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and reduce, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a sauce consistency, about 10 minutes.
To make Polenta, in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, bring water, milk and salt to a boil. Slowly whisk in polenta. Bring back to a boil, then reduce heat to low, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or until it is like a soft porridge. If it is too thick, add more water until it reaches desired consistency. Add Parmesan and butter and stir to combine. Check and adjust seasoning.
To serve, divide polenta evenly between 6 bowls. Top each bowl with a lamb shank and sauce and garnish with gremolata.

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