Saturday, May 3, 2008

Dish of the day (Lamb shanks with prunes)

The secret of this tasty dish is to cook the meat slowly so that it falls off the borne. Prunes, red onions and redcurrant jelly add a rich, hearty flavour.

Ingredients
4 small red onion, quartered
2tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4*225g lamb shanks, trimmed
2tbsp olive oil
Pared zest and juice of 1 orange
200ml red wine
300ml chicken stock
225g pitted prunes
2tbsp redcurrant jelly
2tbsp ground coriander
Fresh coriander and pared orange zest, to garnish
Long grain and wild rice, to serve

Method to preparation
Step1
preheat the oven to 170c/gas 3. Put the onion and vinegar into a bowl and toss together. Leave to stand for 5 minutes.
Step2 meanwhile, season the lamb thoroughly. Heat the oil in a large pan and cook the lamb for 5 minutes until the meat is browned all over. Transfer to a casserole using a slotted spoon, reserving the cooking juices in the pan.
Step3 add the onion mixture to the pan and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the orange zest and juice and stir in the flour to make a paste.
Step4 gradually stir in the wine and chicken stock, followed by the prunes, redcurrant jelly and ground coriander. Bring to the boil, and simmer for 1 minute.
Step5 pour over the lamb in the casserole, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours, turning the lamb after 1 hour.
Step6 garnish the lamb with fresh coriander and orange zest strips and serve with long grain and wild rice.

Serves 4
Preparation time15 minutes
Cooking time 2 hours
Fat per serving 22g
Calories per serving 540