Lamb

Slow-roasted lamb shank and barley soup

Name: Slow-roasted lamb shank and barley soup recipe
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 6 (350g each) French-trimmed lamb shanks; Plain flour, to dust; 50.00 ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to drizzle; 8 small eschalots, peeled; 3 garlic cloves, bruised; 1 carrot, roughly chopped; 1 celery stalk, roughly chopped; 5 thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves, to serve; 2 fresh bay leaves; 180ml white wine; 2l beef stock; 150g pearl barley; Finely grated lemon zest, to serve; Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

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by Dominic Smith

May 26, 2025

When cold weather hits, there's nothing more comforting than juicy, pull-apart strands of slow-cooked lamb shank. Here, the succulent meat is paired with silky beads of barley in a hearty vegetable broth, packed with rich flavour and texture. Butter some crusty bread for dipping and you have the perfect weekend meal.

Recipe note: You’ll need a large ovenproof stockpot or saucepan with a lid.

6 (350g each) French-trimmed lamb shanks
Plain flour, to dust
2 1/2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, plus extra, to drizzle
8 small eschalots, peeled
3 garlic cloves, bruised
1 carrot, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
5 thyme sprigs, plus extra leaves, to serve
2 fresh bay leaves
3/4 cup (180ml) white wine
8 cups (2L) beef stock, plus extra, if required
3/4 cup (150g) pearl barley
Finely grated lemon zest, to serve
Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Method

1.

Dust lamb in flour, shake off excess flour and season all over. Heat oil in a large ovenproof stockpot or saucepan with a lid over high heat. Sear lamb, turning frequently, for 4-5 minutes, until browned all over. Remove from pot and set aside.
2.

Preheat oven to 160°C/140°C fan-forced.
3.

Add whole eschalots, garlic, carrot, celery and herbs to pot, drizzling in a little extra oil, if needed. Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes, until fragrant.
4.

Return lamb to pot, increase heat to high and add wine, scraping base of pan with a spoon. Cook for 1-2 minutes, until evaporated. Add stock, barley and enough water to cover lamb by 5cm. Bring to the boil, skimming any impurities that rise to the surface. Braise, covered, in the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes- 3 hours, until meat falls off the bone.
5.

Remove pot from oven and transfer lamb to a large heatproof bowl. Set aside to serve the meat on the bone, or when shanks are cool enough to handle, shred meat from bones, discarding bones.
6.

Place pot over high heat and return to the boil. Skim any fat and impurities that rise to the surface. Season to taste and add a little extra stock or water if the soup is too thick. Return meat to soup and stir to combine.
7.

To serve, divide soup among bowls, scatter with lemon zest and parsley and drizzle with extra oil.