Introduction
This is my “Sunday on a Tuesday” dinner. Protein first (shank), steady carb (root mash), vegetables (a bag of chunky roots - I’m not above it), and then a sauce that makes it feel intentional.
Ingredients
- 2 fully cooked lamb shanks (about 1.2 kg total, 2.6 lb)
- 1 kg mixed chunky root vegetables (2.2 lb)
- 30 ml olive oil (2 tbsp)
- 8 g salt (0.3 oz, 1 1/2 tsp), divided
- 2 g black pepper (0.07 oz, 1 tsp), divided
Root mash:
- 800 g potatoes, chunks (1.75 lb)
- 500 g rutabaga/swede, chunks (1.1 lb)
- 60 g butter (2 oz, 4 tbsp)
- 150 ml milk (2/3 cup)
Red wine sauce:
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 20 g butter (0.7 oz, 1 1/2 tbsp)
- 25 g all-purpose flour (0.9 oz)
- 250 ml red wine (1 cup)
- 500 ml beef/lamb stock (2 cups)
Method
- Heat oven to 220C (425F).
- Roasted roots: Toss the vegetables with olive oil, 4 g salt, and a little pepper. Roast on a sheet pan for 30 to 40 minutes until browned and tender, stirring once.
- Reheat shanks: Follow the package if you have it. Otherwise, place the shanks in a dish with any bag juices (or a splash of stock), cover with foil, and warm at 160C (320F) for 25 to 35 minutes until piping hot.
- Root mash: Boil potatoes and rutabaga in salted water until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain, steam dry for a minute, then mash. Stir in butter and milk. Season with 4 g salt and pepper.
- Red wine sauce: sauté the onion in butter until soft. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute (a roux). Whisk in the red wine gradually, then the stock. Simmer 10 to 15 minutes until thickened and glossy. Season with salt and pepper.
- Plate: Root mash, shank on top, roasted roots on the side, sauce over everything.
Serving Notes
Wine: a 2011 Ch. Malagar Bordeaux for NOK 200 is a borderline silly match for lamb. It’s fine to act like you planned it weeks ago.
