“Adelaide is known for its production of high-quality lamb,” Gorman adds.

“Lamb shanks are an affordable source of protein for the family to enjoy and look very decorative on the plate. You can find lamb shanks in any good butcher and always ask for a hind-quarter shanks, which provide the best meat-to-bone ratio.”

Braised Lamb Shanks

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

1 brown onion
1 carrot
1 stick of celery
2 bay leaves
¼ bunch thyme
1 sprig of rosemary
4 large lamb shanks
3 large tomatoes
1kg Dutch Cream potatoes
Cream/butter
Black pepper & salt
½  cup of Shiraz or any good red wine (optional)

Method

Dice onion, carrot, celery and tomato, and chop the thyme, rosemary and garlic. Mix thoroughly in a bowl with bay leaves and seasoning, then leave to the side.

Peel potatoes and place in pot of cold water to the side.

In a deep casserole or stainless-steel pot, add a little bit of cooking oil and bring up to high heat. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Once the oil has just started to smoke, add the shanks and turn down the heat to medium.

Turn the lamb shanks every 1-2 minutes, ensuring you get a nice dark brown crust on all 4 sides. This is essential to lock in the juices and develop a nice caramelisation flavour in the pan as well as on the shank itself.

Once sealed, remove the shanks from the pan and turn down the stove to medium/low heat. Tip out any excess oil and fat.

Add the veg and herb mix to the pan and sauté till the onions have softened and started to brown.

Add the lamb shanks then deglaze the bottom of the pan with the red wine (if opting for no wine, just skip this step)

Top the pan up with water until the shanks are just covered and bring to the boil. Turn down to low and simmer.

After an hour, bring the pot with potatoes to boil and simmer until tender. Drain and mash, adding a dash of cream and a heaped tablespoon of butter. Season to taste.

The shanks will be ready when you can see the meat has pulled away from the bone but is still together enough that it doesn’t fall apart in the pot. Remove the shanks and reduce the remaining liquid over high heat until it becomes the consistency of gravy.

Place a mound of potato mash in the centre of each plate and a lamb shank on top of each mound, pouring a bit of the braising liquid over the top