Lemon mustard lamb shanks with truffle garlic mashed potatoes will leave your family begging for more
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With Father’s Day on Sunday, here’s a delicious and unexpected meat dish that’s sure to wow the father in your life!
For years, the main meal in our home for Father’s Day consisted of grilled steaks, corn-on-the cob and baked potatoes. While it was delicious, it just wasn’t anything really special. Then a couple of years ago, I started making this dish for Father’s Day and it was a huge hit! Not only is it impressive in its presentation — it looks like something served at a restaurant. it’s so incredibly delicious!
Lamb shanks, due to their abundance of connective tissues, tend to be tough if improperly cooked. But if cooked well, the meat is so incredibly tender, almost gelatinous, and very flavourful.
In this recipe, the lamb shanks are first browned in a Dutch-oven over high heat to give it good flavour. Once browned, they are then placed in the oven to slow-cook for three hours. The combination of grainy mustard, caramelized onions, garlic, tangy lemon and fresh mint works well together and adds so much depth to the dish.
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When done, the meat is so tender that it literally melts off the bone and can be cut with a fork. While you could serve this with regular mashed potatoes, why stop there? Instead, pair it with truffle garlic mashed potatoes and you’ve got a match made in heaven! Made with only five ingredients, these potatoes are rich, creamy and insanely decadent.
The best part of this recipe is that you don’t have to babysit the lamb shanks while they are cooking. Since no basting is required, once the shanks are in the oven, you’re free to put up your feet, read a book or even take a nap. Thinking that you slaved over this dish all afternoon, your family will offer to help clean up after dinner. Let them!
Ingredients for lamb shanks
2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil
4 lamb shanks
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup (240ml) dry white wine
2 cups (480ml) chicken broth
2 tablespoons (30ml) Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons (45g) grainy Dijon mustard
1 lemon, sliced into 1/2-inch slices, discarding any seeds
1/2 bunch fresh mint, left on the stem
Ingredients for truffle garlic mashed potatoes
2 lbs (6 medium or 1 kg) yellow potatoes, peeled
3/4 cup (180ml) milk
1/4 cup (57g) butter
1 package herb and garlic cheese (I use Boursin cheese)
good truffle salt, to taste
Instructions for lamb shanks
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Season the lamb generously with salt and pepper. In a Dutch Oven, heat the vegetable oil over high heat until smoking. Sear and brown the lamb on all sides, approximately 4-8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
To the same pot, still on high heat, add onions and garlic and fry for about 10 to 20 seconds until fragrant. Do not allow the onions and garlic to burn. Immediately add wine and boil for a minute or two. Add broth, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping all browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Add lamb shanks back to the pot, tuck sliced lemons and mint bunches into the broth. Cover the pot.
Place the covered pot into the oven and cook for three hours until the meat is falling off the bone.
Remove pot from the oven and remove the shanks with a pair of tongs. Set side and cover with foil.
Discard lemon slices and mint leaves and set Dutch Oven on the stove over medium heat. Bring the sauce to a boil, then simmer until slightly thickened. Skim off fat and season with salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, place a dollop of mashed potatoes on a rimmed plate or a large pasta bowl. Place a lamb shank on top of the mashed potatoes and drizzle sauce over the lamb shank and around the potatoes. Garnish with mint leaves. Enjoy!
Instruction for truffle garlic mashed potatoes
About three-quarter way though the lamb’s cooking time, begin peeling the potatoes and cutting them in half.
Place potatoes in a large pot of cold water. Salt the water heavily. (It should taste almost as salty as sea water). Bring the water to a boil and continue boiling for another 15-20 minutes until potatoes pierce easily with a knife.
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While potatoes are boiling, in a medium sauce pan over medium-low heat, add milk, butter and the cheese. Bring to a simmer to melt the butter and the cheese. Once melted, turn the heat down to low and keep the milk warm until needed.
Drain potatoes well and return them to the same pot. Place the pot back on the stove. On low heat, quickly mash the potatoes with a potato masher. Once the potatoes have been well mashed, remove the pot from the heat and immediately add the warm milk mixture.
Stir well to combine. Season to taste with Truffle Salt. Cover and set aside until needed.
Serves 4
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Source: vancouversun.com
