Braised lamb shanks with dauphinoise potatoes
Lamb shanks cooked in red wine meet their match - creamy dauphinoise potatoes. Hearty winter fare.
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 2 lamb shanks
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 stick celery, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
- ½ tsp black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 300ml/10fl oz red wine
- 1 litre/1¾ pints lamb stock
- 30g/1oz salted butter
For the dauphinoise
- 600ml/20fl oz double cream
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 6 large potatoes (Maris Piper or similar), thinly sliced on a mandolin
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the cabbage
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
To make the lamb, heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over a medium heat. Brown the lamb shanks on all sides, then transfer them to a plate or board. Add the onion, garlic, celery, peppercorns and herbs to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the lamb back to the pan. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half. Add the stock, cover with the lid and bake for 2½ hours, or until tender.
Meanwhile, to make the dauphinoise, place the cream, thyme and garlic in a saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat immediately.
Lay some of the potatoes in a single layer in an ovenproof dish and cover with some of the cream mixture. Repeat this in layers until all the potatoes and cream have been used. Bake for 1–1¼ hours, or until golden and a knife easily goes all the way through.
When the lamb is cooked, strain the liquid into a saucepan. Put the lamb shanks into a roasting tin and roast for 10–15 minutes to brown. Simmer the liquid over a medium heat until reduced to the consistency of double cream. Whisk in the butter and keep warm.
If using hispi cabbage, heat a sauté pan, add the butter and cook until wilted. If using savoy cabbage, blanch it first in boiling water, drain and then cook in butter.
Serve the lamb with the dauphinoise potatoes and cabbage and pour over the sauce.