March 13, 2018
This week I wanted to share with you a recipe that I made for Valentine’s Day a few weeks ago! It was so absolutely delicious, and felt so much fancier than the weeknight meal that it was. I wanted to cook something special up because my partner and I decided to stay in, but I knew I’d be getting home late so didn’t have a lot of time, and this recipe saved the day! You all know how much I love a good slow cooker recipe, and this one is a cracker.
I don’t often cook with lamb shanks, I guess because they feel like a bit more of a winter comfort food to me, and something saved for special ocassions. But honestly, they are one of the best things to slow cook! When they are cooked all day, they come out falling off the bone, and they are so tender I can’t even begin to describe it. The only sad thing is that you don’t get as much meat as you would with a normal lamb roast, and so even though you want to eat as much of this delicious dish as possible, it runs out all too quickly! I guess next time I’ll just have to make more next time.
I loved how simple this dish was to make, as most slow cooker recipes are. Just sear off the meat, chuck it all in the slow cooker, leave it for 8 hours, and then you have a delicious meal ready to go on the table. This dish was so packed full of flavour from cooking all day, and a little extra time on the stove for the sauce took it to the next level! What I loved most was that it made a weeknight meal just that little more special for Valentine’s Day. I was planning that we would go out to dinner on the weekend, but this meal ended up being special enough that it felt like we’d been out for dinner! I mean, it was no 3 course italian meal, but it was definitely made all the more special by cooking it in our home.
- 2 large lamb shanks
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion diced
- 3-4 carrots sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups full bodied red wine
- 1 can diced tomatoes 400g
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 3 dried bay leaves
- Handful of chopped parsley
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Pat the lamb shanks dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Heat the olive oil in a fry pan over a medium heat. Sear the lamb shanks until they are brown all over, or for about 5 minutes.
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Add the onion, carrot, garlic, red wine, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, thyme and bay leaves to the slow cooker and stir to combine. Place the lamb shanks in the mixture making sure they are covered by the sauce, and pour the remaining oil from the fry pan over the top.
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Cook on low for 8 hours, or until the lamb shanks are cooked through and falling apart.
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Set the lamb shanks aside and pour the sauce into a large frypan. Simmer over a medium heat until the sauce has thickened and reduced down, about 7-10 minutes. Ensure you continue to stir to avoid sticking.
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Serve in a bowl with the lamb shanks submerged in the sauce and sitting on top of the onions and carrots. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. This dish goes well with a fresh salad or steamed vegetables.
The great thing about this recipe is that it might look complicated but it is actually pretty simple because you can use the slow cooker. Although there are a few ingredients on that list, it is just a matter of putting them all in the slow cooker together and letting it do all the work. It’s really simple to prep in the morning before work, and then you come home to the most amazing meal! That’s what I love so much about slow cooking because it really requires minimal effort which is perfect for those nights when you know you are getting home late!
I paired this meal with a beautiful, fresh salad with lots of crunchy veggies and a tahini dressing. It would also go well with mashed potatoes or something else starchy to soak up the sauce, but I found that by cooking the sauce down a lot you didn’t need anything too much. If you prefer yours to be a bit saucier, leave it on the stovetop for less time and soak it up with some potato or polenta. Personally I found having a salad with it was a good pairing as it cut through the richness of the dish.
What I loved most about this dish was the flavours. Cooking the lamb shanks in the red wine and tomato sauce was absolutely delicious. It was rich without being too over the top, and made the lamb so tasty. Unfortunately we didn’t have any leftovers because it was that good, so next time I’m definitely going to have to cook more lamb shanks so I can enjoy this meal the next day too!
Until next time, happy eating!
Ella xx
