Blaine's Recipe of the Week - 3/26/08

Pot Roasted Lamb Shanks with Cannelini Beans

4 servings

1 ½ cups dried cannelloni beans, soaked overnight and drained

1 bay leaf

4 meaty lamb shanks

Salt and fresh ground pepper

8 large garlic cloves with skin on

6 cups chicken stock (preferably homemade)

2 teaspoon sherry vinegar

2 teaspoon fresh chopped tyme

In large saucepan, cover beans and the bay leaf with 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat until the beans are tender; about 2 hours. Drain the beans and discard bay leaf.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 300. Heat an enameled cast-iron casserole that's large enough to hold the lamb shanks in a single layer. Season shanks with salt and pepper, and cook over moderate heat to lightly brown; turning a few times (15 minutes or so). Nestle the garlic cloves among the shanks. Cover and cook in the over for 1 hour and 45 minutes, turning three times, until shanks are very tender.

Reduce the oven temperature to 200. Transfer the shanks to a small roasting pan, and add the garlic cloves to a small bowl. Cover the shanks with foil and keep warm in oven. Add the chicken stock to the casserole and set the casserole over a burner. Boil over high heat until the juices have reduced to 4 cups; roughly 16-20 minutes.

Peel the garlic cloves and add the sherry. With a fork, mash to a paste. Add the garlic paste to the juices in the casserole. Poor 4 cups into a bowl and baste shanks several times before serving. Stir in beans and thyme to remaining 4 cups, simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Place lamb shanks on plates and serve with beans, and a Merlot dominated red Bordeaux. Enjoy!