Slow-cooked Red Wine Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

1 cup (190 g) dried white beans
2 Tbs plain flour
4 lamb shanks
2 Tbs olive oil
200 g brown mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 brown onion, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
2 celery sticks, coarsely chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
750mL dry red wine
400 g can diced tomatoes
4 rosemary sprigs
2 strips orange peel

Creamy polenta:

3 cups (750mL) chicken stock
1 cup (250mL) milk
1 cup (170 g) polenta (cornmeal)
1/2 cup (40 g) finely grated Parmesan
1/2 cup (125 g) mascarpone

Orange and rosemary gremolata:

1/2 orange, zested
1/2 lemon, zested
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 Tbs finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbs pine nuts, toasted
2 tsp coarsely chopped rosemary

Method

Place the white beans in a large bowl and pour over enough cold water to cover. Set aside for 6 hours or overnight to soak.

Preheat oven to 150 C. Place the flour on a large plate. Season well. Dip the lamb shanks in the flour and turn to lightly coat.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large flameproof casserole pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and cook, turning occasionally, for 5-7 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a plate.

Heat half the remaining oil in the pan. Add the mushroom and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to the plate. Add the remaining oil to the pan. Add the onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Return lamb and mushroom to the pan. Add wine or stock and bring to the boil. Remove from heat. Drain the white beans. Stir the tomato, rosemary and orange peel into the lamb mixture.

Cover and bake, stirring occasionally, for 3 hours or until the lamb is falling off the bone and the beans are tender. Season.

To make the creamy polenta, bring the stock and milk to the boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Gradually add the polenta in a thin, steady stream, whisking constantly. Cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for 4-5 minutes or until polenta thickens. Remove from heat. Add the Parmesan and mascarpone and stir to combine.

To make the orange-rosemary gremolata, combine the orange zest, lemon zest, garlic, parsley, pine nuts and rosemary in a small bowl.

Divide the polenta among serving bowls. Top with lamb and spoon over the sauce. Sprinkle with gremolata to serve.

Credits: Coles

Photo Credits: Coles