Braised Lamb Shanks with Fennel
Tuesday, August 19th, 2008The fennel is not cooked with the meat and can easily be omitted. Serve with instant couscous.
3 fennel bulbs, tops trimmed and quartered, ends still attached
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
6 lamb shanks
1 onion, finely chopped
1 head garlic, peeled (about 15 cloves)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped, or 1 teaspoon dried
4 tomatoes, chopped, or three 15-ounce cans, drained and chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
In a roasting pan, toss the fennel, 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Set aside.Dry the lamb shanks on paper towels and season with the remaining salt and pepper. In a Dutch oven, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb until golden, 4 to 5 minutes per side. (Do in 2 batches if necessary.) Remove the lamb and set aside.
Heat oven to 400° F. Pour off the excess oil from the Dutch oven. Stir in the onion, garlic, and rosemary. Cook 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes, wine, broth, and lamb. Cover and bring to a boil. Place in oven.
Cook the lamb until it is fork-tender, about 2 1/2 hours, occasionally basting with the cooking liquid. After 1 hour, place the pan of fennel in the oven and roast until tender. Serve with the pan juices.
KEEP IT: The lamb and fennel can be stored separately in the refrigerator up to 3 days. To freeze (the lamb only; fennel turns mushy when thawed), divide into individual servings with the sauce. Warm in a 375° F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling. The lamb keeps in the freezer up to 3 months.
Yield: Makes 6 servings
NUTRITION PER SERVING
CALORIES 547(0% from fat); FAT 30g (sat 10g); CHOLESTEROL 159mg; CALCIUM 124mg; CARBOHYDRATE 18g; SODIUM 1010mg; PROTEIN 46mg; FIBER 6g; IRON 5mg