Lamb Shanks with a Chorizo & Tomato Sauce

Our local supermarket, Booths, is fantastic for locally sourced meat, fish and vegetables. Therefore last weekend, with my boyfriend coming to stay, I decided to take a trip to Booths to buy some tasty treats to enjoy over the weekend. With such an array of delicious food on offer it is never easy choosing what to cook, however when I saw the large, meaty lamb shanks behind the counter I knew that they had to be bought.

After giving my mum a quick call for some recipe inspiration, I decided to cook lamb shanks in a chorizo and tomato sauce, a meal my mum had promised was easy to make and was highly praised when she had cooked it for guests in the past.

As usual my mum was correct, the dish turned out absolutely delicious; the meat was tender and flavoursome, the sauce think and fragrant and accompanied with crushed new potatoes and green vegetables, it was a perfect and comforting way to end a rainy Lake District day. My boyfriend even said that it was the best lamb he had ever eaten, he may of said this to be polite but he did eat every single bit.

I cooked the lamb the day before serving so the flavours had chance to soak into the meat and intensify, however if you are pushed for time cooking it on the same day is not a problem.

The recipe:

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 very large handful of chopped coriander

1 table spoon of mint sauce

2 chopped garlic cloves

1 large sliced onion

Half a dessert spoon of tomato puree

1 small packet of diced chorizo

2 lamb shanks

1 chicken stock cube

1 dessert spoon of plain flour

1 knob of butter

1 tin of chopped tomatoes

Olive oil

2 tablespoons of Madeira or white wine

Method

1. Place the lamb shanks in a casserole dish and rub each shank with a little mint sauce. Sprinkle the lamb with plain flour and mix around.
2. In a separate sauce pan sauté the onions in a knob of butter and put a lid on the pan to sweat the onions, stirring regularly.
3. In another pan gently sauté the chopped chorizo, garlic and tomato puree in olive oil for 5 minutes. Add the Madeira or wine and the tomatoes to the pan and reduce by half.
4. Add steps 2 and 3 to the shanks and cover with chicken stock.
5. Oven cook for 3 hours at 170c.
6. Once cooked, remove the shanks from the casserole dish and on the hob reduce the sauce by half until you have the right consistency.
7. When the sauce has reduced add the shanks again, sprinkle with coriander and leave to cool. Refrigerate overnight.
8. When you are ready to cook the following day, remove the layer of fat from the top and reheat for 25 minutes at 170-180c.
9. Sprinkle with the rest of the coriander and serve with whatever you fancy. Although the crushed new potatoes worked well, I think next time I would serve it with mashed potato.
10. If you would like to cook and eat it the same day, follow steps 1 to 7 and as soon as you have reduced the sauce by half cook for a further 25 minutes at 170c and sprinkle with coriander to serve.

Cottage Pie – What a Winter Warmer!

During these chilly winter months I am constantly urging for warming comfort food. Most of the time I opt to make homemade soups as they are quick, healthy and satisfying, however when my new individual dishes from Arte De Cuisine arrived last week, I decided it was time to treat the family to something different, whilst giving my new pots a go.

I opted to cook individual cottage pies, which tasted great with a side of picked red cabbage and a dollop of tomato sauce.

To make 4 individual cottage pies you will need:

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large carrot, diced
500g lean beef mince
1 tbsp tomato purée
300ml beef stock, hot
11/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Few fresh thyme leaves
For the cheddar and parsnip mash
350g floury potatoes
350g parsnips
3 tbsp semi-skimmed milk
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
50g extra-mature Cheddar, roughly grated

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook, stirring for 5 minutes.
2. Add the mince, turn up the heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring until browned.
3. Add the tomato purée, cook for 1 minute, then pour in the stock, Worcestershire sauce and thyme. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Then uncover and cook for 5-10 minutes, until most of the liquid is absorbed. Season and spoon into 4 small ovenproof dishwa.
5. For the mash, cut the potatoes and parsnips into medium-size chunks and put into a large pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and return to the pan to heat for 30 seconds to drive off the excess moisture. Mash with the milk and nutmeg. Season and set aside.
6. Preheat the oven to 180C/fan160C/gas 4.
7. Spoon the mash onto the mince. Rough up with a fork and sprinkle with the cheese (or if like me you are allergic, leave the cheese out).
8. Bake for 25 minutes, until the mash is golden and crisp in places.

Enjoy 🙂

The Ultimate Fish Pie

 

Fish Pie

Fish pie portion

This homemade fish pie was to die for. I actually had three servings- I’m not usually greedy but it was so tasty. I have already posted the fish pie recipe on my blog, but the recipe is to make small pies. To make a big version, follow the same method and ingredients but pour the mixture into a large non stick pan or pie dish instead of individual ceramic dishes and top and bake as the recipe states.

Fish Pie…a classic!

I have been back home for a week and I’m setting off tomorrow for my work placement at Sugar Magazine in London, so I am making the most of my mum’s fantastic cooking! On Thursday night we decided to make a fish pie, which has always been a winner in my household, so I thought I would share the recipe with you.

Firstly we poured ourselves 2 large G n T’s and got a large bowl of olives… don’t make cooking a chore, enjoy it!!

Here is the recipe:

(To serve four)

Ingredients:

6 shallots finely chopped, a handful of sliced mushrooms, a cup of frozen peas, a handful of fresh tarragon, 2 gloves of chopped garlic, 1 dessert spoon of plain flour, 400ml of milk, 125g of double cream, 6 skinless fillets of fish sliced into chunks (1 x cod, 1 x smoked haddock and 2 x salmon), 12 raw, shell-off large prawns and peeled, sliced 1 rasher of smokey bacon and peeled, boiled and mashed 1.5kg of potatoes.

Firstly we made the mash potato,

 then sautéed the shallots, garlic and bacon in a tablespoon of olive oil until golden. We added the flour and cooked it out for 4 minutes, stirring continuously. Slowly added the milk and the Tarragon. We then added the chunks of fish and cream and gently stirred the ingredients for approx. 5 minutes.

 At this stage you may add the grated cheese (unless you are allergic like me and you prefer it a bit more plain and simple). Pour the mixture into 4 small oven proof dishes, top with piped mash and finish with cheese if preferred.

 

Bake in the oven at 170 degrees for 20 minutes and then enjoy!!

Mine without cheese:

With cheese: