The secret pantry staple that gives lamb shanks a rich, savoury boost

Tender and falling off the bone, braised lamb shanks can’t be rushed – but the payoff for those hours spent yielding to gentle heat is the deepest of flavours and a melt-in-the-mouth texture.

Inspired by a River Cafe recipe for ossobuco bianco that I’ve loved for years, I’ve opted for a lighter braising liquid. Instead of beef stock and red wine, the cleaner flavours of chicken stock and white wine – along with a hint of tomato – allow the lamb to take centre stage. A few anchovies melt down to lend a rich umami depth (with no fishiness, I promise!), while fennel adds a gentle anise fragrance to the mix.

I figure that if you’re taking the time to cook lamb shanks, you may as well add a couple extra to the pot so you have enough left over to make another meal. I like to transform them into hand pies (with added silverbeet, green olives and lemon – yes please!) or a satisfyingly hearty chickpea- and lentil-laden soup inspired by Moroccan harira.

Braised lamb shanks

Low and slow is the key to perfect lamb shanks, alongside a beautifully browned crust from the initial sear. Use a casserole or roasting pan large enough to hold the shanks in a single layer with a little wriggle room – you want them half-submerged so the delicious braising liquid can bathe them in flavour. You can use a large slow cooker if you prefer, but you’ll need to reduce the sauce once the shanks are cooked.

INGREDIENTS

• 60ml (¼ cup) olive oil
• 6 large lamb shanks
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced (fronds reserved)
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
• 3-4 anchovies
• 3 thyme sprigs
• 750ml (3 cups) chicken or lamb stock
• 500ml (2 cups) dry white wine
• 400g can cherry tomatoes or chopped tomatoes
• 2 wide strips of lemon rind, plus the juice of ½ lemon

Soft parmesan polenta

• 500ml (2 cups) milk
• 500ml (2 cups) chicken stock or water
• 170g (1 cup) fine polenta
• 200g mascarpone
• 80g finely grated parmesan
• 40g butter, diced

Gremolata

• ½ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves and tender stems
• finely grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160C (140C fan-forced). Heat 40ml (2 tablespoons) of the olive oil in a large ovenproof frying pan or wide flameproof casserole over medium-high heat. Season the lamb shanks well all over. Add them to the pan and brown well on all sides, turning them periodically with tongs so that every surface develops a nice brown crust. Transfer the shanks to a tray to catch any resting juices while you cook the base.
2. Carefully pour the excess oil and fat from the pan into a heatproof container to cool before discarding in the bin. Return the pan to the heat and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onion, fennel, celery and a good pinch of salt, and saute, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic, anchovies and thyme sprigs, and stir until fragrant and the anchovies have broken down.
3. Add the stock, wine, tomato and lemon rind to the pan and season to taste. Nestle the lamb shanks and any accumulated juices from the tray back into the liquid (they should be half-submerged) and bring to a simmer.
4. Cover the pan with a lid or a sheet of aluminium foil, then transfer the pan to the oven and braise until almost tender (2-2½ hours).
5. While the lamb is braising, make the gremolata by combining the parsley, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl. Season to taste, mix well and set aside.
6. Remove the lid or foil from the lamb and bake uncovered for another 30 minutes, or until the meat is fall-apart tender. Test by inserting a fork into the thickest part of the meat and pulling gently – it should fall easily from the bone. If it still feels firm, return the pan to the oven and check again after another 15 minutes.
7. While the lamb has its final 15-20 minutes of cooking, prepare the polenta. Bring the milk and stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season generously, then gradually rain in the polenta in a thin stream while whisking continuously to ensure no lumps form. Continue whisking constantly until the mixture bubbles, thickens and no longer feels grainy (7-8 minutes). Remove from the heat, add the mascarpone, parmesan and butter, and whisk until smooth and creamy. Check the seasoning and cover to keep warm.
8. Check the flavour of your braising sauce, and if it needs a little acidity to cut through the richness, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Discard the lemon rind and serve the lamb shanks and braising liquid with soft parmesan polenta, gremolata and reserved fennel fronds. Reserve 2 lamb shanks and some of the braising liquid for leftovers.

Serves 4 (plus leftovers)

Lamb and olive hand pies

Leftover lamb shanks are a great head start for a pie filling, and a home-made sour cream pastry takes this to the next level. Mix the pastry in two batches to avoid overloading your food processor, processing half the ingredients at a time. Served alongside a creamy feta and lemon sauce, these hand pies are a perfect addition to a lunchbox or alongside a simple salad for dinner.

If you are not up for making pastry, use a good-quality store-bought shortcrust or puff pastry. You will need about 800g of pastry, depending on the size of the pastry sheets.

INGREDIENTS

Sour cream pastry

• 450g (3 cups) plain flour
• 450g (3 cups) wholemeal flour
• 375g chilled butter, diced
• 100g finely grated parmesan
• 1 tsp butter
• 300g sour cream
• 3 egg yolks, lightly beaten

Pie filling

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated
• 90g (3 cups, firmly packed) shredded silverbeet or English spinach
• ½ cup braising liquid (including vegetables)
• 2 lamb shanks, shredded
• 40g (¼ cup) pitted green olives, diced
• finely grated rind of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges to serve
• 1 egg, lightly beaten, for eggwash
• crushed fennel seeds or sesame seeds, for sprinkling (optional)

Feta and lemon sauce

• 100g Greek feta
• 100g (½ cup) natural Greek yoghurt
• juice of 1 lemon
• 2 garlic cloves

METHOD

1. To make the sour cream pastry, process 225g plain flour, 225g wholemeal flour, 187g butter and 50g parmesan in a food processor until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add ½ tsp salt, 150g sour cream and half the beaten egg yolks. Process until the pastry just comes together. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, lightly knead and form into a disc. Cover in cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes to rest. Repeat with the remaining pastry ingredients to make a second disc.
2. To make the pie filling, heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender (4-5 minutes). Add the silverbeet and stir until wilted (2-3 minutes), then add the braising liquid and stir to combine. Remove from the heat, stir in the lamb, olives and lemon rind, season to taste and refrigerate to chill.
3. Preheat oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional). Line two large baking trays with baking paper.
4. Working with one disc of pastry at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to a rough 35cm square and cut into four 15cm x 16cm rectangles.
5. Place one-eighth of the lamb filling toward one side of each piece of pastry. Brush the pastry edges with eggwash, fold the pastry over the filling and seal the edges with a fork. Place on one of the prepared trays, brush with eggwash and scatter with sea salt flakes and fennel seeds or sesame seeds (if using). Repeat with the remaining pastry disc and filling.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.
7. Meanwhile, to make the feta sauce, combine the ingredients in a small food processor until smooth and season to taste.
8. Serve the hand pies warm with lemon wedges and feta and lemon sauce.

Makes 8 pies

Hearty lamb and chickpea soup

Based on the flavours of traditional Moroccan harira, this hearty lamb and legume soup gets a welcome shortcut with your already-braised lamb shanks – along with some of their delicious braising liquid. Serve with warmed flatbread for an even heartier meal.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1½ tsp ground coriander
• 1½ tsp paprika
• 1½ tsp ground ginger
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock
• 400g can cherry tomatoes
• 400g canned chickpeas, drained
• 2 lamb shanks, shredded
• 160ml (⅔ cup) braising liquid (including vegetables)
• pinch of saffron threads, soaked in 1 tbsp warm water (optional)
• 400g canned lentils, drained
• 120g baby spinach
• mint sprigs and coriander sprigs, to serve (optional)
• lemon wedges, to serve

Minty yoghurt

• 240g (1 cup) natural Greek yoghurt
• 15g (¼ cup) finely chopped mint
• 10g (2 tbsp) finely chopped coriander
• juice of ½ lemon, or to taste
• 1 garlic clove, minced or finely grated

METHOD

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the onion and saute until tender (4-5 minutes). Add the garlic and spices and stir until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and cook until slightly darkened.
2. Add the stock, canned tomatoes, chickpeas, lamb, braising liquid and saffron with its soaking liquid to the saucepan, season to taste and simmer to develop the flavours (15-20 minutes). Mix in the lentils and simmer for another 10 minutes, then stir through baby spinach to wilt.
3. Meanwhile, for the minty yoghurt, combine the ingredients in a small bowl and season to taste.
4. Serve the soup hot, scattered with mint and coriander leaves, with minty yoghurt and lemon wedges on the side.

Serves 4