Lamb

Miso and sesame-braised lamb shanks with mandarin, fried broccolini and celeriac puree

Name: Miso and sesame-braised lamb shanks recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 80ml sesame oil; 8.00 lamb shanks; 1 medium carrot, chopped; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 celery stalk, chopped; 6 garlic cloves, crushed; 6 thyme sprigs; 6 mandarins, peeled, separated; 40.00 ml white miso paste; 125ml mirin; 1l beef stock; 30g cold unsalted butter, chopped; 1.5kg celeriac, peeled, roughly chopped; 3.00l milk; 125ml sesame oil; 2 bunches broccolini; 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

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P17 Miso and sesame-braised lamb shanks with mandarin, fried broccolini and celeriac puree

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by Matthew Roberts

HEAD CHEF, ESCHALOT

Jul 07, 2023

“You can’t go past lamb shanks in winter. This is served with miso for saltiness, mandarins for sweetness, brassicas for texture and a velvety smooth celeriac puree that feels like a warm hug from grandma. Celeriac is one of those vegetables that has flown under the radar for so long. People look at it and think, ‘What the hell do I do with it?’ But celeriac is so versatile – you can chip it, mash it, puree it, roast it, salt-bake it. It’s so tasty!” – Matthew Roberts.

1/3 cup (80ml) sesame oil
4 lamb shanks
4 lamb shanks
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
6 thyme sprigs
6 mandarins, peeled, separated
2 tbs white miso paste
1/2 cup (125ml) each mirin, cooking sake and rice wine vinegar
4 cups (1L) beef stock
30g cold unsalted butter, chopped

Celeriac puree

1.5kg celeriac, peeled, roughly chopped
4 cups (1L) milk
4 cups (1L) milk
4 cups (1L) milk

Fried broccolini

1/2 cup (125ml) sesame oil
2 bunches broccolini
1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

Method

1.

Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Heat oil in a large heavy-based shallow ovenproof casserole with a lid over medium heat. Dust lamb shanks in flour and season. Cook, in batches, for 10 minutes or until browned on all sides. Transfer to a plate. Discard all but 1 tbs oil from pan. Add chopped vegetables, garlic, thyme and half the mandarin to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Add miso and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add mirin, sake and rice wine vinegar and reduce by half.
2.

Add stock, bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until slightly reduced. Return shanks to pan and cover. Braise in oven, turning shanks halfway through, for 3 hours or until lamb is tender, well browned and sauce is reduced.
3.

For the celeriac puree, place celeriac, milk and garlic in a large saucepan and add enough water to cover. Cover with a circle of baking paper and cook over medium heat for 30-35 minutes until tender. Strain celeriac, reserving liquid (see note).
4.

Place cooked celeriac and garlic with 1/3 cup (80ml) reserved liquid in a blender and whiz, regularly scraping down the side, until a thick puree forms. Slowly add chopped butter. Season and cover to keep warm.
5.

For the broccolini, heat oil in a large frypan until just smoking. In 2 batches, carefully add broccolini and cook for 2-3 minutes until florets are crispy and stems are slightly browned (be careful as oil will spit). Transfer to a plate as you go and cover with foil to keep warm. Once all broccolini is done, fry chilli for 1 minute, then add to broccolini, discarding oil. Season to taste.
6.

Using tongs, transfer shanks to a plate and cover to keep warm. Strain liquid into a large frypan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat (keep caramelised vegetables, discarding thyme sprigs, to add to a bolognese or pasta sauce or just enjoy on a piece of toast). Add butter and remaining mandarin segments to pan and cook until thick and glossy.
7.

To serve, place generous amounts of celeriac puree on serving plates. Top with 3-4 stems of broccolini and a lamb shank, and spoon over sauce and mandarins.

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Recipe Notes

The strained liquid from the cooked celeriac will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. Use for a potato mash or in bechamel for a lasagne.

You can replace the broccolini with other brassicas or Asian greens.

This recipe will also work in a slow cooker; just follow the manufacturer’s instructions for cooking times.