Lamb Shanks & Sweet Potato Mash
Lamb shanks are just the perfect comfort food. Warming, wholesome and so tasty. Because they’re slow cooked, they also give off the most gorgeous aroma through the house. It immediately makes me want to put on my trackies and have a glass of red wine. I love this as a family meal as it saves me from having to make something separate for the baby and toddler, plus it also makes a great postnatal meal. The ghee provides a good dose of nutritious fat and the hint of nutmeg is a nice way to introduce spices to their developing palates. I like to serve this dish in shallow bowls that can cradle the delicious sauce making it easier to scoop up any juices with chunky sourdough. Any leftovers can be refrigerated and enjoyed as a lamb ragu with pasta or potatoes the following day.
INGREDIENTS:
4 lamb shanks
3 Tbs olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 brown onion, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbs tomato paste
1 cup red wine*
2 x 400g cans of whole or diced tomatoes
1 L bone broth or stock
1 bouquet garni*, plus extra herbs to garnish
Mash:
2 medium sweet potatoes or 500g, peeled and diced into 2cm squares
1/2 of a pumpkin or 500g, peeled, deseeded and diced into 2cm squares
1 Tbs ghee
Pinch of nutmeg
salt and pepper
METHOD:
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot and and fry the lamb shanks two at a time until golden brown on all sides, then set aside.
In the same pot, add another tablespoon of oil and fry the garlic, onion, leek, carrot, celery, smoked paprika and a couple of pinches of salt and fresh cracked pepper until soft. Next add the tomato paste and cook for another minute. Pour in the wine (if using) and bring to the boil, cooking for another couple of minutes. When most of the alcohol has evaporated it will smell divine and then it’s time to add the canned tomatoes, stock, bouquet garni and lamb shanks. Bring it to the boil and then reduce to a low heat and simmer for 4-5 hours. You just want it bubbling away ever so slightly at the surface of the sauce. By the time it’s ready, the sauce will have reduced and thickened and the meat will be gorgeous, tender and wanting to fall of the bone.
The mash is super easy so you can make it just before serving. Just add the sweet potato and pumpkin to a pot of salted boiling water and cook for about ten minutes or until you can put a fork in the potato with ease. You can also steam them over simmering water for about the same time. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return them to the pot for another 30 seconds to cook any remaining moisture. Add your ghee and nutmeg to the potatoes and puree with a stick blender until it reaches a smooth and velvety consistency.
If your feeding a baby, set aside some puree now before you season the rest with salt and pepper. When you’re ready, serve the mash in shallow bowls, topped with a lamb shank and ladle of red sauce over the top, garnished with fresh thyme and parsley, and fresh sourdough on the side. There’s no need for butter as the bread is best used to scoop and soak up any leftover juices.
Notes:
A bouquet garni is lovely little bunch of herbs tied with kitchen string. I use 2 bay leaves, 2 thyme sprigs, 1 rosemary spring and 3 parsley stalks.
If feeding baby, you can hold off including the wine. The sweet potato mash makes an ideal First Food (just set aside before seasoning) and if baby has been on solids for a little while, you can peel off a tablespoons worth of the lamb and add it to the mash and puree again to blend in the lamb. Toddlers can enjoy as is.