Lamb shanks are beautiful! Loads of really good, fatty meat full of gelatine in the skin and marrow in the bone.
What a great cut!
But, again, it's hot and I really don't want to be cooking all day, so ... lamb shanks are actually perfect!
First, the parsnip cream. This was actually a leftover from some dips the other night ...
Simply boil a large parsnip, blend with cream and chill in the fridge. Yeah, that's it. Eat with carrot and celery sticks. Leftovers accompany a dish like this perfectly ... chilled.
Now, the lamb shanks ...
In a large ovenproof dish (I use Pyrex), set out a good base of onion, garlic, ginger, chilli, sweet red peppers, some paprika, fennel, carrot and celery, settle the shanks over, pour a carton of chopped tomatoes over and top up with a light stock, like chicken.
Into the oven at 150C (300F) for four hours, by which time the meat will be falling off the bone.
Retrieve the shanks carefully and keep them warm in tin foil while you blend and then reduce the sauce. It will be naturally thickened with the gelatine, but that reduction will make a really fly sauce.
Serve out, sauce in a bowl, shank laid over and the cool parsnip cream alongside. Fresh coriander to garnish and a little crunch from red and green peppers.
Don't forget to winkle out the marrow from the bone.
