lamb shanks with green purée and dutch carrots

The ultimate weekend roast, with melt-in-your-mouth lamb simmered in a gut-healing broth infused with clove, cinnamon and cardamom, this roast will be a favourite feast for family and friends alike.

Recipe Dr Verena’s Kitchen

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Lamb Shanks
3 medium lamb shanks
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
2 tablespoons ghee or coconut oil
1 cup leek, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
⅔ cup celery, diced
⅔ cups carrots, diced
4 cloves
2 cardamom pods, opened with mortar and pestle
½ cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 bay leaves
2 cups chicken or beef broth
1 handful parsley, chopped

Green Puree
1 ½ cups chicken or beef broth
2 cups cauliflower florets, coarsely chopped
2 cups broccoli florets and peeled stems, coarsely chopped
2 cups zucchini, diced
1 cup kale or Swiss chard, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh herbs - try basil & oregano
1 tablespoon parsley
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon sea salt

Dutch Carrots
2 bunches Dutch carrots, washed and green tops trimmed
Extra-virgin olive oil
Cumin powder
Tahini, to drizzle
Lemon juice, to drizzle

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160℃.

Place the shanks in a plastic bag with the tapioca flour and shake well to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil in a frying or cast-iron pan over medium heat. Brown the lamb shanks on each side for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a plate to rest.

Add another tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil to the pan, and then the leek and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, celery, carrots, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick and fry for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

If your frying or cast-iron pan has a lid you can use this for the next step. If not, transfer the cooked vegetables to a roasting dish that has a lid. Add the lamb shanks, salt, bay leaves and cover with your choice broth. Place into the oven for 2 hours, then sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

For the green purée, heat your choice of broth in a pot over low-medium, and simmer all the vegetables for 7 minutes. Strain the broth into a cup and enjoy drinking it. Tip the vegetables, herbs, parsley, ghee and salt into a food processor and blend until a smooth consistency is reached.

For the Dutch carrots, preheat the oven to 200℃.

In a medium-sized pot, bring 5 cups of water to the boil. Add the carrots and blanch for 3 minutes, then remove, dry and place onto a lined baking tray. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil, sprinkle with cumin powder and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Finish the carrots with a drizzle of tahini and lemon juice, then serve on a platter alongside the lamb and green puree.

FODMAP
Use the green tops of spring onions instead of the leek. Omit the celery and increase the amount of carrot instead. Replace the cauliflower and broccoli for the green purée with parsnip and extra zucchini.