Lamb Shank with Bubble & Squeak

Ok Guys n Gal's lets get cooking!

First let’s break down what we are going to need:

2 Lamb Shanks
1 Bulb of Garlic
Fresh Rosemary (Loads!)
350g Chopped Swede
350g Chopped Potato
Sprouts
Carrots
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Plain Flour
Rock Salt & Cracked Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil
Chicken Stock
Fresh Bay Leaves

The amount of vegetables you use depends on how much Bubble and Squeak you want to make. I am going to make enough for 4 servings so I have some for dinner tomorrow.

Ok Lets get to it!

1. Preheat your oven to the maximum Heat.

2. We need to prepare the Lamb Shanks for the oven. Firstly score the fat with a sharp knife so the flavours of the rosemary and garlic and permeate the lamb. Throw a bunch of un-pealed cloves and some stripped rosemary into a large baking tray then cover them with a drizzle of olive oil. Once done add the two lamb shanks to the tray and add cover with some more rosemary and garlic and a little oil. Now cover the baking tray with foil nice and tight (scrunch it around the edges for a nice seal) and bung it in the oven. Once you shut the door reduce the heat to around gas Mark 3 (160c). The lamb will take approximately 3 hours to cook.

3. Peel all root vegetables and cross the bottoms of your sprouts. This helps them get nice and soft!

4. About an hour before the meat is due out of the oven boil the vegetables with about 3 bay leaves (remove these before frying).

5. Heat some oil in a pan and add a good knob of butter. Once melted add the vegetables. Using a potato masher gently crush the vegetables and mix them about. Eventually you will be a left with a nice vegetable mush. Leave on a low heat occasionally flipping/mixing them. Do this until the lamb is finished (about 30 minutes more).

6. Ok the 3 hours are up. Remove the lamb from the oven and carefully take off the foil (Steam is hot!). Brush off all the rosemary and garlic and remove the meat. At this point the meat should be fork tender. Keep the meat under some foil on a plate whilst we prepare the sauce.



7. Remove the bulk of the rosemary sprigs and all of the garlic cloves. Pour away half of the fat in the tray. Heat up the fat in the baking tray on the stove. Now squeeze the garlic cloves so that the gooey garlic centre oozes out. Add this to the fat along with a table spoon of plain flour. Using a wooden spoon crush the garlic and mix in. Now add 300ml of chicken stock and stir in until thickened. Take off the heat and strain into a jug.

8. Now that everything is cooked you can focus on presentation. Many people are just tempted to throw food onto the plate. Taste and smell are important but if the food looks awful people are likely to turn their noses up!

9. Add a generous pile of bubble and squeak to the centre of a warm plate, clean around the centre ensure the food is only in the middle. Place the shank on top of the vegetables and pour some sauce on. Add a sprig of rosemary for garnish and serve. Enjoy.