This ragu is both comforting and warming. The lamb should melts in your mouth while the pasta grabs and holds the sauce. The freshness of the parsley and zing from the lemon in the gremolata adds a freshness and balance to the richness of the dish. I prefer to use the forequarter or front shank as they are smaller and leaner than the hind shank though in my opinion, more flavoursome. If you can only get hind shanks they are totally interchangeable for this recipe. Ask your butcher to French Trim them, this will make them more visually impressive if you are serving them on the bone.
INGREDIENTS-
4 lamb shanks (preferably forequarter)
4 large cloves garlic minced
1 large brown onion diced
2 carrots diced
2 stems celery diced
400gm tin tomato passata
1/2 cup red wine
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 litre good quality beef or chicken stock
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Pinch dried chilli flakes (optional)
Stem of fresh rosemary
3 bay leaves
50gm plain flour for dusting
50ml Rice bran or vegetable Oil
Salt flakes and cracked pepper for seasoning
Gremolata –
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley leaves and stems (about 1x cup chopped)
1 clove garlic
100ml extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 large lemon+ Juice of half
Salt flakes and cracked pepper for seasoning
Method –
Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees
Season the lamb shanks with sea salt and cracked pepper and roll in the flour to lightly coat.
Heat the rice bran oil in heavy based casserole dish, brown the shanks over a medium heat until sealed on all sides and remove from pan.
Throw in your diced onion, carrot, celery and garlic and sweat off until the onions are translucent. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan.
Place the lamb shanks and the rest of the ingredients into the casserole dish and bring to a simmer skimming any impurities that rice to the top. Place in the oven at 160 degrees for approx. 2 to 2.5 hours or until lamb is tender and pulls easily from the bone.
Meanwhile finely chop the garlic & parsley, mix together with the olive oil, lemon zest and juice. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place in a small dish to serve at the table.
When lamb is tender take the dish out the oven, carefully remove the lamb shanks and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes whilst you cook the pasta.
Add 1x packet of Duro Fusilloni pasta to 4 litres of salted boiling water, cook for 8-10 minutes or until al-dente then strain.
Skim the fat and oil that has risen to the top of the sauce and discard. Remove the rosemary stem and bay leaves and adjust the seasoning.
The lamb can be served on the bone or use a fork to pull the meat from the bone and tear into chunks, adding it back into the sauce before serving.
Serve topped with the gremolata.
Serves 4