Chocolate Main

Lamb shanks with chocolate

Name: Lamb shanks enriched with chocolate
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 210 min
Total time: 230 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 carrots, roughly chopped; 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped; 1 bunch thyme, leaves picked; 40.00 ml olive oil; 8 Frenched lamb shanks (ask your butcher to do this); 12 eschalots, peeled; 1 garlic bulb, halved crossways; 6 fresh bay leaves; 20.00 ml tomato paste; 35g plain flour; 250ml red wine; 1L (4 cups) chicken stock; 20g dark chocolate, finely chopped; 50g salted butter, chopped; 40.00 ml malt vinegar; Finely grated zest of 1 orange; Dried chilli flakes, chervil sprigs, to serve

4 ratings

20m

3h 30m

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by Colin Fassnidge

Chef and My Kitchen Rules judge

Apr 01, 2017

This recipe makes good use of a long cooking time. Remove the lamb meat from the bone and use it for a pie filling if you don’t want to eat it all at once!

2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 bunch thyme, leaves picked
2 tbs olive oil
8 Frenched lamb shanks (ask your butcher to do this)
12 eschalots, peeled
1 garlic bulb, halved crossways
6 fresh bay leaves
1 tbs tomato paste
1/4 cup (35g) plain flour
1 cup (250ml) red wine
1L (4 cups) chicken stock
20g dark chocolate, finely chopped
50g salted butter, chopped
2 tbs malt vinegar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Dried chilli flakes, chervil sprigs, to serve

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 150°C.
2.

Place carrot, celery and thyme in a food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Set aside.
3.

Heat oil in a large flameproof casserole with a lid over medium-high heat. Season lamb. In 2 batches, cook, turning, for 10-12 minutes or until browned all over. Remove and set aside.
4.

Add eschalot and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until browned and charred around the edges. Add carrot mixture and bay leaves, and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add tomato paste and stir to coat, then add flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add red wine, scraping the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spoon. Add stock and bring to a simmer, then return lamb to the casserole.
5.

Cover, then roast for 2 hours 30 minutes or until tender. Remove shanks from casserole and set aside.
6.

Place the casserole over medium-high heat and cook for 40 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Stir through chocolate, butter and vinegar. Season, then return shanks to casserole.
7.

Serve lamb scattered with orange zest, chilli and chervil.