Lamb Shanks Cooked With Wine Apricots Recipes

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH GREEN OLIVES AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• First off, you want to marinate the lamb shanks for a few hours to really penetrate the deep flavor; the wine also tenderizes the meat. Put the shanks in a large glass bowl and season with salt and pepper. Break up the thyme and rosemary with your hands to release the oils and toss them on top of the lamb. Add the lemon peel, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaves, and sugar. Pour in the bottle of wine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
• Line a few layers of paper towels on the counter. Pull the lamb shanks out of the wine marinade (reserving it for later), and lay them out on the paper towels, cover with more paper towels and pat the meat dry really well. Put the flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper. Dredge the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour; tapping off the excess.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the oil. Sear the lamb shanks, turning carefully with tongs, so all sides are a brown caramel color. Drizzle with a little more oil if needed. Do this in batches if the shanks are big and look crowded in the pot. Strain marinade reserving the wine. Add the wine, remaining 2 sticks of cinnamon, remaining 2 sprigs of thyme and the stuff from the marinade. Cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the onions, carrots, olives, and apricots; bring to a boil. Cover the pot. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Transfer the lamb shanks to a large platter. Spoon the onions, olives, and apricots over them. Strain the braising juices and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the platter and serve with some crusty bread.

LAMB SHANKS COOKED WITH WINE & APRICOTS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 150C
• 2. Heat oil in large ovenproof casserole dish, big enough to take four lamb shanks & then some - cook shanks until browned & sealed on all sides, then remove from dish
• 3. Add all veg & garlic to the dish & cook, stirring, for 2 min.
• 4. Add herbs & put the lamb back in pan, placing it on top of the veg. Add the stock, wine, port & apricots (cut in half)
• 5. Put lid on & cook shanks in the oven for at least 2 1/2 hours, 3 hours is better, until meat falls off bone.
• 6. Serve with mash & green veg.

LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Place prunes in a bowl, add wine and set aside. Heat oil in a 6-quart casserole or sauté pan. Add lamb and brown on all sides over medium heat. Remove. Stir in onion and garlic. Sauté on low until soft. Stir in bell pepper, cumin and paprika. Sauté a few minutes. Return lamb to pan, season with salt and pepper. Add thyme, prunes and wine. Cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Turn shanks in pan and baste. Add zest and cayenne. Cover and cook on low about 45 minutes more, until lamb is tender when pierced with a fork. Check seasoning. Serve with couscous.

SLOW COOKED LAMB SHANKS IN RED WINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F degrees.
• Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
• In a large frying pan brown the lamb shanks on all sides in the olive oil; remove from pan and put into a large casserole dish to keep warm.
• In the same frying pan put in the carrots, onions, garlic, bay leaves and rosemary and cook slowly until nicely colored.
• Pour in the red wine, beef stock, and brown sugar into the frying pan and stir gently bringing it to a low boil.
• Pour the wine mixture over the lamb shanks; top up with water if needed.
• Cover; put in oven and cook for 2 1/2 - 3 hours until very tender.
• Remove the lamb shanks and keep warm and skim the fat off the top of the red wine juices.
• Mix together the cornflour with just a bit of cold water and whisk the cornflour mixture into the red wine juices until desired consistency.
• Serve up on individual plates and enjoy.

LAMB SHANKS BRAISED WITH APRICOTS AND NORTH AFRICAN SPICES

Steps:

• Combine the cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, ginger, peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, coriander and fennel in a spice grinder and grind until fine and well mixed. Measure out 3 tablespoons and reserve the rest for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season the shanks with the salt, place in the pan and sear on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside the shanks. Turn the heat to low. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, the garlic and onions. Cook until browned, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, raise the heat and deglaze the pan. Stir in the spice mixture and the apricots. Put the shanks back in the pan.
• Cover with foil and roast until the meat is very soft, turning the shanks frequently and spooning the liquid over them, about 2 1/2 hours. Take out the shanks and degrease the sauce. Stir in the thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the shanks among 4 plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve with couscous or potatoes.