BRAISED SHANKS w/CHAMP

By BobD

Ingredients

• 6 SERVINGS
• • 6 lamb hind shanks
• • canola oil
• • all purpose flour
• • 2 pounds cippolini onions (peeled)
• • 2 pounds large carrots (peeled and cut diagonally into 2 inch slices)
• • 4 stalks of celery (cut diagonally into 2 inch pieces)
• • 12 garlic cloves (peeled)
• • 1/4 cup tomato paste
• • 6 bay leaves
• • 6 twigs of thyme
• • 2 tablespoons Sambal Oelek chili paste (optional, for added spice)
• • 2 containers of D’Artagnan Veal Demi-Glace (7.5 ounces each)
• • 2 pints Murphy’s Irish stout
• • Kosher salt and ground pepper

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from dartagnan.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Heat about a ¼ cup canola oil in a large rondeau (this is a braising pan with a heavy bottom) over a medium flame.

2. Season lamb shanks heavily with salt and pepper.

3. Dredge lamb shanks lightly in flour.

4. Using tongs carefully sear the shanks in the heated oil, turning the shanks every few minutes until they are golden brown on all sides.

5. Pull shanks out and let rest on a sheet pan.

6. Be sure the oil and leftover flour in the pan hasn’t turned black; if so wipe out the pan and add fresh oil.

7. Add onions, celery, carrots and garlic and sauté until they caramelize (light brown).

8. Remove the vegetables and set aside.

9. Carefully add the Irish stout and Veal Demi-Glace into pan.

10. Add sambal paste (optional), tomato paste, bay leaves, and thyme.

11. Return shanks to rondou and check that the cooking liquid comes half to two-thirds of the way up the shanks. If not, add some water as needed. Cover with aluminum foil.

12. Put rondou in oven on middle rack at 350 degrees F in the convection oven and cook for 2 hours, turning the shanks over once during cooking.

13. Remove pan and add the vegetables for the last hour of cooking (this assures the vegetables don’t become dilapidated).

14. Remove and serve (total cooking time should be 2 ½ to 3 hours).

Champ
Serves 6
Ingredients

• 7 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 6 equal pieces
• 1/4 pound butter, diced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 6 stalks of scallions (or spring onions if you can find them), sliced diagonally
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. Combine potatoes with water and a small amount of salt in a large pot and place on a medium flame.

2. Cook potatoes until a fork easily runs through, then strain of all water.

3. Place the potatoes in a bowl (or return to the same pot in which they were cooked) and add the diced butter while the potatoes are still hot, then mash them with a masher or a food ricer. .

4. With a rubber spatula fold in heavy cream salt and pepper (be careful not to over work the potatoes or they become like glue).

5. Add the sliced scallions and fold into the potatoes.