Sticky lamb shanks braised with sweet potato, rosemary and garlic

By vegar

Karen Martini

Ingredients

• 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks, knuckles removed
• Sea salt and black pepper, to season
• 3 celery sticks, finely sliced
• 1 medium carrot, peeled,
• cut into chunks
• 8 eschalots, peeled, halved
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 3 rosemary sprigs
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
• 2 desiree potatoes, peeled,
• cut into discs
• 90 g pearl barley
• 2 small red chillies, split
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 3 Tbsp honey
• 2 1/2 litres chicken stock
• Crusty bread, to serve
• Steamed green beans, to serve

Preparation

Step 1

1 Preheat oven to 170ºC. Heat oil in a heavy-based ovenproof dish. Add lamb and brown all over. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove shanks and set aside.
2 Set dish over a medium heat, then add celery, carrot, eschalot, garlic, thyme, rosemary and cinnamon, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Return shanks to dish with remaining vegetables, barley, chilli, tomato paste, honey and chicken stock.
3 Bring to a simmer, cook for 4 minutes, then seal dish with lid. Put in the oven and cook for 2¼ hours or until meat is just coming off the bone. Serve lamb shanks with crusty bread and steamed beans.