Slowly Braised Lamb Shanks

Serves 6

Ingredients
(6) 1 pound lamb shanks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 tablespoons light olive oil
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 onion, roughly chopped
3 celery stalks, 2 roughly chopped and 1 finely diced
3 carrots, peeled, 2 roughly chopped and 1 finely diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 bay leaves
One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 1/3 cups dry red wine
8 cups lamb stock or beef stock
Creamy Mascarpone and Parsley Polenta (see recipe)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C. Starting at 1 inch from the narrow end of each shank, score the meat around the bone and trim away any meat, sinew and fat from the 1-inch section of the shank (this will help release the meat from the bone as it cooks). Sprinkle the lamb shanks with salt.  Whisk the flour, paprika and cayenne pepper in a large bowl.  Coat the lamb shanks thoroughly in the flour mixture. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the remaining flour mixture.

Heat 4 tablespoons/60 ml of oil in a large heavy roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add the lamb shanks and decrease the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the shanks are brown on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a baking sheet.

Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the roasting pan. Add the garlic and roughly chopped onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat, or until the vegetables begin to brown. Sprinkle the reserved 3 tablespoons/30 g of flour mixture over the vegetables and stir to coat.

Using the back of a large knife, gently pound the rosemary and thyme to help release their flavors. Add the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves to the vegetables in the pan. Continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the flour mixture is golden brown. Stir in the tomatoes. Place the lamb shanks back in the roasting pan.  Add the stock and wine. Cover the pan with foil and place in the oven for 3 hours, or until the lamb is tender on the bone.

Remove the pan from the oven. Transfer the lamb shanks to a baking sheet. Cover with foil and keep warm. Place the roasting pan over medium-high heat and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes. Carefully strain the sauce through a fine-meshed strainer and into a medium saucepan. Discard the solids from the strainer.

Simmer the sauce uncovered for 15 minutes, or until reduced to 4 cups.  Add the finely diced carrots and celery and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper.Place 1 lamb shank on each of 6 plates. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the lamb and serve with the creamy polenta. 

Creamy Mascarpone and Parsley Polenta

Serves 6

Ingredients:

5 cups liters chicken stock
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups whole milk
1 small sprig fresh thyme
3 garlic cloves, peeled, smashed with the side of a large knife
1 fresh bay leaf
1 1/2 cups polenta (coarse corn meal)
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped, fresh, flat leaf parsley
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method:

Place the chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat just until hot. Move from the heat and cover to keep warm. Meanwhile, combine the cream, milk, thyme, garlic and bay leaf in another medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat.  

Strain the cream mixture into a heavy large saucepan.  Slowly whisk the polenta into the hot cream mixture. Whisk in 1 cup of the warm chicken stock. Whisk the polenta over medium heat until it boils.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring often, for 1 hour, or until the polenta resembles the consistency of mashed potatoes and no longer has a starchy taste. As the polenta cooks during this time, occasionally add the remaining chicken stock, 1 cup at a time, to help moisten the polenta when it becomes very thick.  Stir in the mascarpone cheese, parmesan cheese, butter and parsley.

Season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Chocolate Pots de Creme

Serves 6

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
8 ounces Valrhona semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 large egg yolks

Method:
Preheat the oven to 250°F/120°C. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, sugar and vanilla. Whisk to blend and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the chopped chocolate and whisk until all the chocolate has melted.  Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Then, in a slow, steady stream, add the chocolate-cream mixture, whisking until smooth. Divide the mixture among 6 ramekins or small custard bowls (about 6 ounces each), and place them in a large high-sided baking dish or baking pan. 

Make a bain-marie, or water bath, by pouring cold water into the baking dish so that it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins or custard bowls. Cover tightly with foil and bake on the center rack for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the custards jiggle slightly in the center when gently shaken (the custards will thicken as they chill).

Let cool to room temperature and then refrigerate until cold.  Serve cool.