Indian-spiced lamb shanks can be made a few days ahead to serve at a dinner party.for the Globe and Mail
These shanks are slow-cooked and end up glazed with a flavourful sauce. If you cook this the day before, chilling it makes it easy to skim the fat from the sauce. Serve with steamed rice and curried peas and carrots. If preferred, remove the meat from the shanks and add to the sauce for reheating.
Servings: 4
Ready Time: 3 hours, but better if chilled overnight
Ingredients
3 tbsp vegetable oil
4 lamb shanks
3 tbsp medium or mild Indian curry paste
Salt to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tsp garam masala
2 cups beef or chicken stock
1 cup chopped canned tomatoes
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
1 2.5x5-cm piece orange peel
¼ cup chopped coriander
Method
Preheat oven to 300 F.
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown lamb shanks on all sides, about 2 minutes per side or until a dark brown colour. Remove from pot. Combine remaining 2 tbsp vegetable oil and curry paste and rub lamb shanks with two-thirds of the curry mixture, reserving the remainder. Season shanks with salt.
Turn heat to low and add more oil if needed. Add onions and cook slowly for 10 minutes or until soft but barely coloured. Add ginger, garlic, garam masala and remaining curry mixture and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant.
Add stock, tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, sugar and orange peel and bring to a boil. Return shanks to pot, cover and bake for 1 hour. Turn meat, cover and bake 30 minutes longer; turn again, uncover and bake 30 minutes or until lamb is very tender and sauce is rich. Skim fat from sauce and remove orange peel. If sauce is too thin, remove shanks and bring sauce to a boil over high heat. Reduce until sauce is slightly thickened. Sprinkle with coriander before serving.
Lucy Waverman