Shanks alla Aidos

Shanks alla Aidos

 

 

Here is a little something from Aidan’s shank bank, DELICIOUS, tender, heart warming shanks in a tomato base, accompanied by the PERFECT potato mash, and duck fat brussel sprouts. 

If this isn’t food for the soul, then I don’t know what is. 

 

(This is what we make for 3x HUNGRY PEOPLE!)

 

Utensils:

 

  • large fry pan
  • large baking tray
  • chopping board
  • sharp knife

 

Ingredients:

 

  • good quality lamb shanks
  • rosemary
  • thyme
  • onion
  • garlic
  • carrots
  • celery
  • 1L chicken stock
  • garlic granules (optional)
  • 1/2 cup of redwine
  • 1x tins whole peeled tomato
  • 1x tin diced tomato (can pick one with an extra flavour if you wish)
  • duck fat
  • 5-6 potatos
  • 10-15 small brussel sprouts
  • bacon/ham/speck
  • butter
  • milk
  • salt & pepper

 

Method:

 

  1. Fire up your fry pan and pre heat oven to 100 degrees
  2. Season Lamb Shanks with salt, pepper, finely chopped rosemary and some dried garlic granules
  3. Throw the seasoned shanks in the pan to brown the outside then place shanks in a baking tray while you make the stock 
  4. Put diced onion and a few chopped cloves of garlic in same frying pan as you just had shanks in, with a bit of stock to soak up the char from outside of lamb let cook down until onion is soft
  5. Add a few sprigs worth of thyme leaves and another tablespoon or so of the finely chopped rosemary. Add the wine and let simmer for a a few minutes
  6. Add the can of tomatoes, chopped carrots and celery and then cover with remainder of chicken stock. Stir and simmer for another couple of minutes 
  7. Once that bad boy is looking like you want to eat it out of the pan.. pour it all over the shanks, cover and throw in the oven. 
  8. 4 hours or so later take the shanks out and crank up the oven to 180, once it has reached temperature put the shanks in uncovered for another 10-15 mins to crisp up the outside of the meat
  9. Shanks are ready.! Drain excess oil from pan with a big spoon before serving

 

FAR OUT BRUSSEL SPROUT

 

  1. to prepare brussel sprouts, halve them long ways and steam for 2mins.
  2. in small frying pan add 1 tablespoon of duck fat and 100-150g of chopped bacon/ham or speck (speck is next level)
  3. after a minute or so add brussels and fry until they are golden and then serve

 

 

HOT POTATO HOT POTATO

 

  1. Peel, and slice your potato's into 2-3cm discs
  2. Rinse well under cool water
  3. Add potato’s, cold water and a reasonable amount of salt to the pot and allow to slowly boil
  4. Remove quickly from pot and straight into strainer before potato’s are too over cooked and breaking apart.
  5. Allow to completely drain (if they’re still water logged, pop back in the pan over a high heat to evaporate some excess fluid)
  6. Allow to COMPLETELY COOL, then add a decent amount of ROOM TEMPERATURE butter, milk and salt and pepper to taste.
  7. Lightly mash and let them fluffy up, serve immediately.

 

BUON APPETITO!

 

Beware: The following contains some very pointless and boring information about mainly potatoes, read at your own risk of boredem.

Mashed potato, simple right? Yeah, about as simple as perfectly boiling an egg. (ALSO VERY TRICKY TO GET RIGHT)

I spend ALOT of time watching cooking shows in the evening’s once Olive has gone to bed, and one thing I’ve always noticed is the favouritism toward the old bake&mash as opposed to the traditional boil&mash.

I guess there is no wrong or right when it comes to mashed taties, but im going to be honest, boiling them the CORRECT way is the best way.

 

here’s why:

 

  1. My next door neighbours actually owned one of the largest potato farm’s in Aus, and i was lucky enough to be forced to spend my boarding school holidays over at their potato factory sorting potatoes. So I know potatoes. FYI: That “dirt” on the potato’s is actually put there after we have washed and sorted them, and they’re actually the B grade potato’s with blemishes which have been covered in dirt, think ‘foundation on pimples’ however this foundation makes people believe they’re actually buying more organic potatoes, but really they’re just shitter potatoes they have to spend three minutes washing and scrubbing under the tap. Suckers.
  2. Chose your tatie wisely. Starchy potatoes for the win, think those real potato looking ones (Russets) over the shiny looking waxy ones (red or white) they go gluggy and not nearly as lovely and fluffy.
  3. ALWAYS start cooking the potato in cold, salted water first, avoid chucking them straight into the boiling water, there is science behind this. 
  4. If you DRAIN your potato’s COMPLETLY (think COMPLETLY) then they won’t have that dreaded watery consistency the judges rag on about in master chef, if you don’t know if you’ve done this properly, sometimes you can whack them back in the pot over a high what and let some of the excess water be absorbed.
  5. COOL THEM DOWN! make sure they’re well rested and cooled down before you go to town on them with your (room temp not cold) butter and milk etc.

 

Potato, Potato, Potato.

 

Belinda Bartholomew