Categories: uncategorized
Date: 17 July 2007 10:31:51
Obviously, feel free to play about with this recipe as you wish .. I do!
2tbsp olive oil, 15g butter, 12 peeled shallots (oniony things, not spring onions with long green ends - I think the Americans call those scallions?), 2cl garlic, chopped, 125g thick bacon chopped into small pieces, 4 large carrots chopped into 5cm chunks, 4 celery sticks in 5cm pieces, 6 lamb shanks cracked by the butcher (or use the same weight in diced lamb), 250ml red wine (cab sav is great, cab merlot also, I use a quite sweet very fruity red too), 410g can white beans (cannellini), 2tbsp clear honey, salt/pepper, 3 sprigs or equivalent dry of rosemary and thyme.
Heat oil and butter together (in a cast iron casserole dish if you have one, otherwise in a heavy pan - skillet?), add shallots, garlic, and bacon and fry until lightly coloured. ADd carrots and celery until also lightly coloured (3 - 4 mins). Lift out and drain well. Add lamb to pan and brown all over. Place all meat and vegetables in the casserole with honey, wine, herbs, and seasonings. Cover and cook in oven for 2 hours at 140C or 275F. Turn lamb, add drained beans (use potatoes if you like), and return to oven for another hour. The meat should be almost falling off the bones, so use a couple of forks to remove it all and break it into mouthful sized chunks, mixing well into the stew.
Serve with garlic bread and some lovely sesame fried snow peas or fresh peas/beans - yummo!