If you have not yet made this dish, it is highly recommended and unique. The fennel we currently offer the stores is huge, fresh and crisp.
Make wintertime enjoyable by cooking these low and slow meals that warm the belly!
At the risk of being called ‘boring’, I made this fabulous dish again tonight. I also made the Poached Fruit in Brandy https://maxifoods.net.au/kitchen/spicy-australian-brandied-poached-dried-fruit because I could and because it is very good!
I made a few subtle changes to the previous lamb shanks, so this is the revised recipe:
Ing.
4 fresh lamb shanks
1 onion, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
100ml red or white wine
2 large fennel, thickly sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 green capsicum, sliced
½ cup coarsely chopped Continental parsley
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon of licorice roots
1 teaspoon Fennel seeds
An additional 2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon Massel powdered chicken stock
A good sprinkle of cracked pepper
Murray River Pink salt
Method
I started a little earlier than usual so I infused into two cups of hot water the licorice roots, fennel seeds, powdered chicken stock, Murray River Pink salt and the pepper. This burst of flavour liquid then became a charged stock to add to the shanks and vegetables.
Preheat the oven to 150c
In a large (oven proof) pot, pan fry on the stovetop the sliced onion in olive oil. When golden add the fresh shanks to brown them (not cook them). Turn them over after a minute or two. Add a splash (100ml) of red or white wine and let the alcohol cook off for about three minutes. Now add the fennel, capsicum, parsley and garlic.
Pour in the infused stock liquid. Add another two or three cups of hot water, but don’t fill the pot to the top, leave a good 1/3 to ¼ without liquid, even if it does not cover the vegetables. Bring to the boil and then turn off, put a sealed lid on the pot, place it into the oven and leave alone for about an hour.
Now, presentation is everything! Leave aside some Continental parsley to garnish your magnificent meal and (hopefully) you will be credited by your guests/family as the world’s greatest cook (again).
Slow Cooker
To cook this is a slow cooker, everything is the same after the shanks are browned. The onion and shanks should be stovetop browned before placing into the slow cooker.
Leftovers for tomorrow
The flavoursome juices left over, with bits and pieces of vegetables, will make an excellent thin pasta sauce or add to freshly cooked rice.
Please enjoy.