Great Expectations

Last night’s dinner had been locked in – food and guests – for a few weeks and I had been seriously looking forward to it. Lamb shanks and best friends, why wouldn’t I be excited?

Lovely Lamb Shank Pie

The Best Whole-Baked Carrots

Steamed Broccoli with Beurre Blanc

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but lamb shanks are yet another food that up until this point, I had never cooked before. I’d certainly eaten them many times and talked about cooking them, but for one reason or another, I’d never quite gotten around to it. So this was my shank debut.

I’d thought that it would be an all day cooking session, but it was a really simple recipe – chopped veg, a bottle of red wine and the browned shanks, in a pot on the stove and simmering for 1.5 hours.

While the shanks were simmering and wafting some amazing smells through my flat, I put the carrots in the oven – whole baby carrots, oil, vinegar, carrots, S&P. After the 1.5 hours of simmering, it was time to turn the shanks into a pie, which though it looked fantastic in Jamie’s book, proved not to be quite so easy with many factors contributing to the not-so-picturesque finished product – pot size, pastry length, shank bones, indecisive chef – but I got there in the end and popped the pie in oven for 20 minutes and started on the beurre blanc, which was yet another heart stopper – SO much butter.

The finished product was not too shabby. Very tasty and very tender shanks (just as they should be and for only 2 hours cooking – love that!), the baby carrots were fantastic (though we were fire-breathing garlic) and the beurre blanc broccoli was buttery goodness. I should mention the pastry as well – crispy, puffed and plenty of it, my tasters were a happy bunch.

There was a big build up to this dinner (by which I mean my own childish excitement about the challenge, but also just about lamb shanks – yum!), but I think the expectations were justified and suitably met. I’m not sure I’ll ever turn lamb shanks into a pie again, but will I cook shanks again, you bet I will.

Xx

PS – My fridge is finally sugar free… All my leftover desserts are gone, so no more dessert for breakfast. I’m actually quite relieved.