Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Romesco Sauce

This slow-cooked lamb recipe is inspired by the Greek dish “Kleftiko” which seals the lamb in a parcel of baking paper to keep in all the moisture and flavour of the classic elements of lemon, garlic and herbs. Winter is not a good time for flavoursome fresh tomatoes, so we have used pantry ingredients to make a rustic Romesco Sauce, adding a punchy brightness to this dish.

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

4 lamb shanks (400g each approx)

Whole head of garlic, cut in half through the middle

2 stalks rosemary

4 stalks thyme

1 tsp dried oregano

2 large bay leaves

1 lemon, cut into quarters

½ cup chicken stock

¼ cup Great Southern Groves extra virgin olive oil

4 small-medium red onions, peeled & halved (try to keep root end intact)

50g Great Southern Groves mixed olives in brine

OVEN METHOD

Preheat oven to 170ºC fan-bake.

Line a baking dish that will hold the lamb shanks snugly with a couple of large pieces of baking paper (enough to wrap over the top of the lamb).

Put all the ingredients except for the red onions and mixed olives into the dish and season with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.

Fold the baking paper over to cover the contents. If the baking paper does not fully cover the ingredients, add an additional piece of baking paper on top and tuck inside the folded in bottom pieces. Cover all tightly with foil or place a lid on the dish.

Bake for 3 hours, remove from oven and tuck red onions into dish around the shanks. Baste everything well with the cooking juices, replace cover and return to oven for a further 45 minutes.

Remove the covering from the lamb dish, scatter over the GSG mixed olives, baste well and bake for another 15-20 minutes to brown meat and reduce cooking liquid.

SLOW COOKER METHOD

To cook the lamb in the slow cooker, pile all the ingredients into the slow cooker, cover with a piece of baking paper and then the lid. Cook on LOW for about 7-8 hours or HIGH for about 4-5 hours.

Tip everything into a large roasting dish and finish off in the oven to brown shanks or serve as is, straight from the slow cooker.

Note: you can add the red onions in from the start or pop them in around about halfway through the cooking time – the longer they are cooked the more they will collapse into the juices.

FOR THE ROMESCO SAUCE

200g roasted red peppers, drained and chopped finely

50g semi-dried tomatoes, chopped finely

1 small clove garlic, crushed (see notes)

30g slivered almonds, toasted and chopped

½ tsp smoked paprika

60ml Great Southern Groves extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp sherry or red wine vinegar

To make the rustic romesco sauce: mix all the prepared ingredients together in a medium bowl. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

TO SERVE:

Serve the lamb shanks with the sticky pan juices, romesco sauce, crusty bread for mopping juices and a simple salad. Alternatively, serve with Great Southern Groves Olive Oil Mash (see recipe here) and green beans.

NOTES:

Cooking times will vary according to the method and your oven – lamb shanks are very forgiving, so cook them longer than stated if needed.

You can blitz the romesco sauce ingredients in food processor or with stick blender for a smoother sauce.

Fresh garlic can be very strong so err on the side of caution when adding it to your romesco sauce, and keep in mind that the flavour will develop over time.

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