Lamb shanks for dinner party

Zell

I'm cooking for 6 people on Saturday and want to serve lamb shanks, possibly using this recipe:

http://www.elizabethskitchendiary.co.uk/2012/12/jamie-olivers-spiced-slow-cooked-lamb.html

Anyone got a favourite recipe you swear by?

Loire

I made a version of this a few years ago and it was delish.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/jan/31/darina-allan-ballymaloe-recipes

The most important thing IMO is the quality of the shanks. I bought fatty ones once (from a butcher no less) and they weren't great.

Shanks make a great statement on the table! Some nice mash on the side too...mmmm

Toast4532

I have cooked lamb shanks with a port and vegetables in the oven before. Served with mash, but you could serve with baby potatoes either, you could roast them in the oven with a little olive oil and rosemary.

I don't have an exact recipe but this is what I think I did, and it fed two of us.

2 lamb shanks (6 in your case OP)
Carrots
Celery
Onions (red and white/green)
Pepper (you can add salt, but I didn't)
I knorr beef stock pot.

I put the lamb and vegetable into an oven dish, and I melted the stock pot with boiling water (how much you need depends on how much you are cooking, about a pint of water and 1 stock pot was enough for two of us). I put in maybe half a cup of port and put it into the oven at 180 for 2-2.5 hours.

It turned out delicious. If you had a slow cooker you could even use that to cook and then you only need to serve when its ready, don't know how long to cook for though. Maybe someone else could advise on that.

You could do some steamed veg on the side too, maybe tenderstem broccoli etc.

I use this port in cooking all the time and its always turned out well http://www.tesco.ie/groceries/Product/Details/?id=255247156

Mrs Fox

I made this awhile back. It was pretty amazing.
Agree with Loire about quality of shanks.

Dizzyblonde

I've made Neven Maguire's lamb shanks with barley and rosemary and they were really good
http://www.nevenmaguire.com/userfiles/Braised%20Lamb%20shanks%20with%20Barley%20and%20Rosemary.pdf

Zell

Ooooh choices! Thank you so much for the replies. I want to serve them with a sauce - but which one? I bought the shanks today from my butcher in Drogheda. They look good but will need some trimming. 6 shanks for 15euro.

Minder

http://uktv.co.uk/food/recipe/aid/527368

This is the recipe I've used for years - from Sophie Grigson's Meat book. The shanks are cooked in two stages for a total time of 2 and a half hours braised at 170c in the oven with veggies, tomatoes and stock.

Mr.Boots

Seal them in a pan first, give veg a quick turn in the pan (carrot, onion, celery, garlic) deglaze pan with red wine, put all in a casserole dish, make sure meat on shanks are covered with liquid by topping up with stock with the bone protruding up words in the dish, add rosemary, thyme, a dash of cinnamon, some dark chocolate, espresso and pepper. Into the oven at 220 for 30 min then loosly cover and cook at 145 for 3.5 hrs.
Take shanks out of dish gently and reduce liquid down to make a gravy, season accordingly
Bingo

Stheno

Mr.Boots wrote: »

Seal them in a pan first, give veg a quick turn in the pan (carrot, onion, celery, garlic) deglaze pan with red wine, put all in a casserole dish, make sure meat on shanks are covered with liquid by topping up with stock with the bone protruding up words in the dish, add rosemary, thyme, a dash of cinnamon, some dark chocolate, espresso and pepper. Into the oven at 220 for 30 min then loosly cover and cook at 145 for 3.5 hrs.
Take shanks out of dish gently and reduce liquid down to make a gravy, season accordingly
Bingo

Exactly what I do, one of the nicest meals

Zell

I printed out Mr. Boots recipe, Mrs. Fox's and Dizzyblonde"s link and did an amalgamation of the three! Right now the house is full of gorgeous aromas as tomorrow's main course simmers away in the oven. I needed a very big pot for 6 lamb shanks! Looking forward to the result. Thanks again for the suggestions.
P.S. I so love this forum!!!