Braised Lamb Shanks

It’s snowing out there, it’s obvious that dinner must consist of a hearty comfort dish, and it has to be something special since one of my granddaughters and her husband are coming over. I always liked cooking with wine, and my granddaughter shares my love of lamb, what better occasion then, could present itself to prepare this delicious recipe emailed by S. Lefkowitz, from Miami, Fl? She writes that it was adapted from Pam Anderson‘s Perfect One-Dish Dinners.

All Photos EXCEPT for the one by S. Lefkowitz are copyright of
The Kosher Scene

In all the years I’ve been living in New York, I can’t recall it ever snowing as much…

Braised Lamb Shanks

Photo sent in by S. Lefkowitz from Miami, FL.

Serves 6

 

Ingredients

• 6 large lamb shanks
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 large onion chopped
• 3 large carrots, cut into medium chunks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into medium chunks
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup cup dry red wine
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cans white beans, drained

Directions

1. – Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 450 F. heat a large heavy roasting pan set over two burners on low heat. Meanwhile, place shanks in a medium bowl with the 2 tablespoons of oil and turn to coat. Season with salt and pepper generously.

2. – A few minutes before searing shanks, increase heat to a medium-high until wisps of smoke rise from the pan. Add shanks and sear on all sides until well browned, 7 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a bowl. Shanks should have rendered enough fat to cook onion. if not add another tablespoon of oil.

3. – Add onions, carrots an celery to roasting pan and cook while stirring until browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning until fragrant about 1 minute. Whisk in flour, then broth, wine and tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. – Return shanks to pan, Using two potholders to protect hands, place a sheet of heavy-duty foil over pan, Press foil down so that it touches shanks and seal foil completely around edges. Repeat with a second sheet of foil to ensutre a tight seal. Continue to shanks on medium-high until you hear juices bubble. Set pan in oven and cook for 1 1/2 hours.

5. – Transfer pan from oven to stovetop. Arrange shanks on a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Stir beans into pan juices and simmer over 2 burners on medium heat to blend flavors, for about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

I don’t use “cooking wine,” why ruin a good recipe with a lousy wine? In this case I cooked with Mony Cabernet Sauvignon Classic 2009, a great choice.

We washed it down with a Herzog Variations Five Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 – which the young couple brought – with aromas of ripened blackberry, notes of blackcurrant and bold blueberry flavors. It proved a superb companion to the lamb shanks. My granddaughter and her husband showed excellent taste in wines.

Enjoy gentle reader, enjoy, we certainly did!

CS

Champagne Drappier

French kings were anointed with champagne. During the 17th, 18th and 19th century European royalty spread the message of the unique sparkling wine from Champagne and its association with luxury and power. The leading manufacturers devoted considerable energy to creating a history and identity for their wine, associating it and themselves with nobility and royalty. With the emergence of the middle class, champagne became a symbol of upward mobility and luxury. Since their earliest days the noble wines from France’s Champagne region were synonymous with wealth, luxury, power.

Champagne is made from a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, or Pinot Blanc grapes.

While there are many kosher sparkling wines from wineries around the globe, until recently there was no kosher champagne that could compete on an equal footing with those brands famous throughout. The Drappier cellars date from the 12th century, however the Drappier family only took over the estate in 1808 and hasn’t stopped making champagne since.

Recently we partook of a feast worthy of such a noble wine…

Champagne Drappier - Carte Blanche Brut, wrong shape glasses, but even these did not detract from our enjoyment of the champagne! Photo by: Irving Schild

On a recent evening, my good friend – photographer and teacher Irving Schild (whose work has graced our pages many a time before) – and I came to my co-blogger SYR‘s home where we enjoyed some superb dishes she graciously prepared from Geila Hocherman‘s Kosher Revolution, a cookbook we reviewed on these very pages.

We started the meal with an incredible Peshwari Challah (page 190), Geila based this recipe on a pashwari naan – an Indian bread filled with nuts and raisins – to which she added pistachios, coconuts, spices and a touch of honey. Very aromatic and full of flavor! We then proceeded with a Coconut-Ginger Squash Soup (page 61), Duck Breast with Port and Figs (page 89) and Braised Lamb Shanks (page 106); we finished it with the Maple Pecan Pie (page 170) As a potable, to wash it all down, we had a bottle of Champagne Drappier Carte Blanche Brut (purchased earlier in the day at Gotham Wines and Liquors). In the glass, it exhibited a beautiful clear light gold color, with a persistent stream of pinpoint bubbles, this fine Champagne presented us an inviting aroma of milk chocolate and fresh apples. Mouth-filling and creamy, it offered fresh apple-jelly and toast flavors with crisp, pleasantly cleansing acidity. By the way, to allay any fears… this Drappier is mevushal.

A meal we will long remember!

CS