Simple lamb shanks with chickpeas
Wine: Cabernet
Inspiration: Jules Clancy
We were lucky enough to be on a stand at the Sydney - GOOD Food & Wine Show with food author and blogger Jules Clancy. To go with our new Cabernet, she offered us a great winter recipe from her new self published cookbook 'and the love is free' available at www.thestonesoup.com
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 375g (13oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
- 6 lamb shanks, thawed
- 3 brown onions, peeled & quartered lengthwise
- 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
- 3 medium carrots, halved crosswise and quartered lengthwise
- 1 x 400g (14oz) tin tomatoes
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 2 cups white wine, red wine, beer, more stock, or just water
- 3 sprigs rosemary, optional
- 3 sprigs thyme, optional
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste crusty bread, to serve
Method
If you don’t have the time or the inclination to soak chickpeas, you could always go for the canned variety. Just drain and add to the pot about half an hour before everything is done. Feel free to play around with the types of veggies you use. If you’re anything like my favourite Irishman, you’d probably prefer to do away with the chickpeas and substitute in some scrubbed kipfler potatoes.
Preheat oven to 160C (320F). Place shanks in a large oven proof casserole dish. Add onion, garlic, carrots, tomatoes and their juices, stock, wine or other liquid and herbs. Drain chickpeas and scatter over the top. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
Bake for 4 - 5 hours, turning the meat occasionally until the shanks are meltingly tender and the meat is starting to fall off the bone. If the shanks look like they are drying out at any stage, add a little water, cover with foil and continue cooking. You can either serve now with crusty bread and a green salad or allow to cool and refrigerate until needed.
When ready to serve, preheat oven to 180C (350F). Skim solidified fat from the surface of the shanks and place shanks, uncovered in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated through.
Back to more food and wine recipes
