slow cooked lamb shanks

So a few of you have emailed me and asked for some slow cooker recipes.  Ok, so only one of you has asked.  And she may or may not be related to me (hi Dal!) but still.  Someone has asked.  And that's all it takes for me to spring into action. I've already blogged a few of my favourite slow cooker recipes, including cashew chicken, chicken pie, coq au vin and sticky pork chops but today I give you my all time favourite slow cooker recipe: Lamb Shanks (best served with mashed potato and a glass of red)

INGREDIENTS:

serves two

two lamb shanks

1/2 cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

1 tablespoon tomato paste

6 garlic gloves or two good squirts of Gourmet Garden's Garlic

rosemary and thyme (dried or fresh..use as much or as little as you like)

1 litre chicken stock

1 cup red wine

olive oil for searing the shanks

zest of 1/2 a lemon

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

METHOD:

Coat the shanks in the flour and sear in a hot pan until golden brown.  

Remove shanks from pan and gently fry off the carrot, onion and celery until soft.

Place shanks, softened vegetables and all other ingredients in your slow cooker and cook on low for 5-6 hours OR if you don't have a slow cooker, place everything in a pan, cover with al-foil and bake in your oven at 170 deg for 3 hours.

Now, here's the most important step in the lamb shank process...

Once cooked, remove the shanks from the liquid and cover with al foil (this will keep them warm while you're getting the sauce sorted.)

Strain the liquid, so that all the veggies and herbs are left behind in the strainer.

Pour the strained liquid into a pan and gently simmer for about 30 minutes, until it becomes thick, sweet and sticky.  Add the strained veggies and herbs to the sticky sauce and pour over your lamb shanks and mashed potato.  Delicious!