Slow Food Lamb Stew

[Dante]

Having recently been treated to "Slow Food Style Lamb Stew", I'd like to know how to make it and how it may or may not differ from more standard recipes

Sincerely,

Dante

[mjc]

That could mean a lot of things. Where did you have it? Is it referring to the slow food movement? What was in it?

[CommissionerLin]

Having recently been treated to "Slow Food Style Lamb Stew", I'd like to know how to make it and how it may or may not differ from more standard recipes

                                      Sincerely,

                                              Dante

←

Here's a slow-cook recipe that I've used and modified over the years with much success.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks (Ottoman/Greek - style)

1-1.5 kg lamb fore shank (4-5 pieces)

½ cup onions, coarsely chopped

½ cup capsicum, coarsely chopped

¼ cup olives (preferably green Kalamatta)

1½ cups plum, honey or cherry tomatoes, halved

6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed

2-3 whole green chillies, seeds removed (optional)

1 punnet brown or white button mushrooms, quartered

A sprinkling of Mediterranean herbs/herbs de Provence (oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage etc)

½ cup corn flour

1 cup Visado from Santorini or Vin Santo fromTuscany (if unavailable, substitute with any sweet white dessert wine, White Port or sweet sherry)

2-3 cups chicken or pork stock

Method

1. Season lamb shanks with herbs, salt, pepper and a dash of EVOO. Coat with corn flour.

2. Refrigerate for 6-48 hours.

3. Bring lamb shanks to room temperature (around 24 - 26 deg C) either by resting on the kitchen counter or under a griller/salamander set at low heat.

4. Warm up oven at 180 deg C setting for 30-45 mins.

5. Brown shanks in vegetable or peanut oil under high heat, in a wok or skillet.

6. Place shanks on kitchen towels to drain oil.

7. Transfer shanks to a Dutch oven or cast iron pot with a tight-fitting lid.

8. Add all vegetable ingredients (except mushrooms), wine, stock and aromatics. The shanks do not have to be completely immersed in liquid. 50 per cent immersion is sufficient.

9. Place pot in oven with lid on.

10. Reduce oven setting to 120 deg C. Bake for 1 hour.

11. Remove from oven, rotate shanks to avoid uneven browning, baste shanks with liquid from the pot.

12. Replace pot in oven. Reduce oven setting to 110 deg C. Bake for another hour.

13. Repeat step 11. Add mushrooms.

14. Bake for another hour or until meat is fork tender and separates easily from the bone.

15. Ladle into bowls, and serve with Turkish bread, ciabatta or other flat bread, pilaf rice or pasta.

I would add that this recipe is geared for foreshanks. If using hind shanks adjust proportions and cooking times accordingly. The corn flour should result in a nice thick gravy but if a thicker gravy is desired (for example if serving with pasta), ladle the gravy into a saucepan and reduce over the stovetop. Using a cast iron pot makes a great difference to the outcome. I have tried this recipe using various receptacles ranging from pyrex to clay but the most jubilant results have come from a cast iron pot.