Braised Lamb Shanks With Green Olives And Apricots

Serves: 6

Cody DuBuque

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

44

Spice

50

Sweetness

58

Sourness

40

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.2

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 sprigs

Rosemary (fresh)

1 tsp

Whole Cloves

1 tbsp

Sugar

3 tbsps

Olive Oil

2 cups

Lamb

Directions:

1

First off, you want to marinate the lamb shanks for a few hours to really penetrate the deep flavor; the wine also tenderizes the meat

2

Put the shanks in a large glass bowl and season with salt and pepper

3

Break up the thyme and rosemary with your hands to release the oils and toss them on top of the lamb

4

Add the lemon peel, garlic, cloves, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaves, and sugar

5

Pour in the bottle of wine, cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours

6

Line a few layers of paper towels on the counter

7

Pull the lamb shanks out of the wine marinade (reserving it for later), and lay them out on the paper towels, cover with more paper towels and pat the meat dry really well

8

Put the flour in a large shallow platter and season it with a fair amount of salt and pepper

9

Dredge the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour; tapping off the excess

10

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F

11

Place a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add the oil

12

Sear the lamb shanks, turning carefully with tongs, so all sides are a brown caramel color

13

Drizzle with a little more oil if needed

14

Do this in batches if the shanks are big and look crowded in the pot

15

Strain marinade reserving the wine

16

Add the wine, remaining 2 sticks of cinnamon, remaining 2 sprigs of thyme and the stuff from the marinade

17

Cook until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes

18

Pour in the stock and add the onions, carrots, olives, and apricots; bring to a boil

19

Cover the pot

20

Place in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours

21

Transfer the lamb shanks to a large platter

22

Spoon the onions, olives, and apricots over them

23

Strain the braising juices and season with salt and pepper

24

Pour the sauce over the platter and serve with some crusty bread