I have a confession to make: when I was in school it was hard to find the motivation and satisfaction of cooking at home. I needed to get out, put on make up, get dressed up and go out to eat. Or, I’d do the exact opposite out of sheer exhaustion and live on scramble eggs and peanut butter and jelly.
The idea of tackling new recipes and ideas was exhausting! Since the end of school, I’ve rediscovered my love for creating masterpieces (small or great) in my own kitchen. Granted, I always loved to cook, eat, and entertain but the process was so much more complex.
Now things seem easy in comparison to wedding cakes and plated desserts.
Last night I made lamb shanks for very pleased guests. Having never made this before and following no specific recipe I have to say it turned out pretty great. I plated it with a fresh arugula salad with olives, blue cheese, and asparagus and roasted rosemary potatoes.
Granted I still live in a tiny apartment, with an even tinier kitchen. You can see our makeshift tables. Necessity is the mother of invention …
Lamb Shanks
- About 1 shank per person, ask the butcher how much each shank weighs, remember this weight includes the bone
- flour, salt, pepper, olive oil
- 1 large onion
- 4 cloves garlic (again depending on what your preference is you can add more or less)
- beef broth
- rosemary
- can of tomato
- red wine
Generously salt and pepper the shanks and dredge in flour. Heat about 3 tablespoons olive oil in large pan oven proof pan with a lid. Brown shanks on each side and remove from pan. Add another 2 tablespoons of oil and add chopped onion until it begins to sweat. Add chopped garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Deglaze the pan with about 1/2 cup wine and 1/2 cup broth. Allow it to come to a boil and reduce a bit. Add shanks back to pan and add tomatoes. Bring entire mixture to a boil, cover and move pot to a 250 degrees oven. Allow to cook for about 3 hours until meat is tender and falls of the bone.
Plate shanks and cover to keep warm. Bring sauce to a boil on the stove top and leave for about 10 minutes uncovered until mixture reduces. Skim the fat off the top of the sauce. Top shanks with reduced tomato sauce and serve.
