Lamb shank ragout

Babiche Martens

When you arrive for a potluck dinner you don’t want to spend your time in the kitchen, so a precooked dish is best for the occasion. Cook the lamb shanks until the meat falls off the bone. That way everyone will get a taste of the yummy meat. If you need it to go a little further, you can add a tin of butter beans. Dishes like this are so versatile; sometimes I will add diced potatoes or other vegetables just so it becomes a one-pot dinner. Crusty bread to scoop it up is all that’s needed.

Ingredients

4 large	Lamb shanks (Main)
2 Tbsp	Oil
1	Leek, sliced
2	Onions, chopped
4 cloves	Garlic, sliced
1	Chorizo sausage, sliced
1 bunch	Baby carrot
1 cup	Passata
2 Tbsp	Tomato paste
250 ml	Red wine
1 cup	Water, or stock
1 tsp	Sugar
2 stalks	Thyme
½ tsp	Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ cup	Chopped parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Place lamb shanks on a lined baking tray and cook for 30 minutes to let fat drip off. Remove from dish and throw away paper and fat. Turn oven down to 160C.
2. Heat oil in a frying pan to medium heat. Add leek, onions, garlic and chorizo. Cook slowly until lightly browned. Place into a large baking dish with shanks.
3. Add baby carrots, passata, paste, wine, water, sugar, thyme, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover tightly and bake for 2 hours. Remove lid and stir. Continue to cook for a further hour until lamb is practically falling from the bone.
4. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with pappardelle pasta or creamy mash.

More of Angela's pot luck dishes

• Beef burgundy
• 4 bulb garlic chicken