Slow Shanks (with Lemon & Spices)

I haven’t been around lately (just in case you haven’t noticed). Not only from the food “blogosphere” but mentally and physically too. Various reasons have slowed my world down. It’s been a time of reflection rather than a time of action. A moment to think. Or just read. But I can’t do that forever (as much as the introvert inside me wants to). It is time to wake up and smell the roses. Or smell the coffee, as some would say…


I am finding this family food topic more challenging than I initially thought. Growing up, we probably ate chicken 3 or 4 times a week. On those days we didn’t eat chicken we ate beef. Sometimes there was lamb. There wasn’t much variety when it came to meat in my family. But that’s okay. Now that I’m a big boy and I am free to make my own choices, and I do prefer to eat other animals than the fore mentioned ones.
My way of overcoming the lack of variety is by putting a twist on the old. In this particular recipe I have kept the flavours close to the original so as to not lose the unique nature of the dish but I have changed the cut of meat. Leg of lamb has been substituted with lamb shanks, thus altering the cooking technique from roasting to slow cooking.
Which is good, by the way, because I haven’t had much luck with lamb this spring. I have roasted various cuts, from various sources, but the lamb always turns out tough. It hasn’t made a difference either if I’ve cooked the lamb pinkish, or more well done. Something to do with the Australian drought perhaps? Thirsty animals with de-hydrated meat? Who knows…?
One thing I do know is that lamb shanks are absolutely delicious slow-cooked this way (thirsty animals or not). The flesh becoming absolutely sticky, tender and full bodied in flavour. An abundant use of lemon, pungent garlic, oregano and the aromatic spices is addictive. The aromas that assault the senses are amazing. Not to mention totally mouth-watering and divine.

Components
2 lamb shanks
1 lemon, juiced and zest juliennned
2 garlic cloves (or more), cut into slivers
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
Nutmeg and black pepper, freshly grated
A pinch chili, powder or flakes
Sea salt

Process
Heat the oven to 150c. Pierce the lamb shanks with a sharp knife, here and there. Fill the incisions with garlic slivers. Make certain that they are pushed deeply into the meat, so that they will melt and perfume the meat as it cooks. Place the shanks into a covered ceramic baking dish. Use a baking dish just large enough to fit the lamb shanks without too much space. If you don’t have a covered baking dish, a roasting pan with a couple of layers of tightly sealed foil will suffice. The result however, will be superior if you use a heavy, lidded baking dish.
Drizzle the lemon juice over the shanks.
Sprinkle the salt, oregano & spices over the lamb and rub the shanks ensuring they are well coated.
Sprinkle half the lemon zest over the shanks and cover the dish with its lid (or foil).
Place into the oven for about 2 hours. They are ready when the shanks have become golden and meltingly tender. Allow to rest for about 15 minutes or so. Sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest and cover with the lid for 1 minute. The residual heat will help to release the citrus aroma from the lemon zest. Serve straight from the baking dish, with plenty of bread to mop up the sticky juices. This dish goes well with roasted or steamed asparagus.
Serves 2.

Wild Pigeon Ragu

Last nights dinner was a moment of culinary perfection in my kitchen, and at my table. Eating food like this makes you realize why Italians love their food so much and, in my view, excuses their chauvinist behaviour. This is the best dish I have cooked all year.


Ingredients
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 wild squab pigeon (you can used farmed, of course)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used spring garlic)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
200 ml fortified wine (Sherry, Marsala, Madeira etc)
400g can Italian tomatoes, chopped
200ml reduced stock (I used pigeon)
Sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black Pepper

Method
Check around the wing joint for any stray plumage and remove with tweezers.
Chop of the head, if still attached. Wash the bird under running water, to remove all traces blood. Pat the pigeon dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bird lightly all over. This will only take a few minutes. Remove the bird to a plate.
Over a low heat, sauté the garlic and sage, just until the garlic turns white. Do not allow the garlic to colour in any way.
Deglaze the pan with your chosen wine and reduce until syrupy.
Add the tomatoes, stock and pigeon.
Add water until the bird is 2/3 submerged.
Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the bird every 30 minutes or so, until the bird is tender and the leg pulls away easily from the body. Mine took 2 ½ hours to reach this point. The older the bird, the longer the cooking time. I do not mind in the slightest, being held hostage in the kitchen by these birds as they braise. It is well worth the end result. From time to time, you will need to add water to the pot to prevent the braising liquid reducing too quickly.
Allow to cool.
Remove all the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin.
Throw the meat back into the sauce. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Add a touch of sugar to balance the acidity level, and reduce until you are satisfied with the depth of flavour and consistency.
Toss this divine sauce with the freshest and best quality tagliatelle and some butter. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.
This amount of sauce should be enough to coat about 300-400g fresh tagliatelle.

Surf 'n' Turf

Angels on Horseback. Alligator and Sausage. Bacalao y Chorizo. Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Tails. Beef Tenderloin and Scallops. Beef Tenderloin and Shrimp.. Bacalao y Jamon. Barramundi and Braised Veal. Beef in Oyster Sauce. Blue Eye cod wrapped in Prosciutto. Carpetbag Steak. Chicken and Prawn Salad. Chicken and Seafood Paella. Chorizo and Clams. Chorizo and Pork. Coast and Roast. Cod and Beef Ribs. Dam ‘n’ Ham. Hoof and Harbour. Jelly Fish and Pork Salad. Lobster and Black Pudding. Lobster and Chicken. Mare e Montagna. Mussels and Beef Fillet. Oysters Kilpatrick. Poulet Saute Marengo. Prawn and Pork Wontons. Pork Belly and Scallops. Pork and Clams. Pancetta wrapped Salmon. Reef and Beef. Roast lamb with Anchovy. Rudder and Udder. Roast Jewfish and Confit Pork Cheeks. Ship to Shore. Squid stuffed with Jamon. Steak and Moreton Bay Bugs. Salmon Confit with Prosciutto and Horseradish. Sweetbread and Chicken Terrine with Asparagus and Yabbies. Tortellini of Slow Braised Pork Shoulder and Pumpkin with sautéed Yabbie Tail. Veal Medallions and Lobster Tails. Vitello Tonnato. Veal with Prawn and Morels..... This is my version of surf 'n' turf...


Slow Cooked Pork Sausage and Mussels.

Ingredients
4 pure pork sausages
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, chopped
1 carrot, peeled and grated
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp of flour
100ml white wine
100ml of tomato puree (not concentrate)
250ml chicken stock (I used fake)
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Fresh black and white pepper
500g live mussels.
Freshly chopped parsley

Method.
Heat the oil over a high heat and brown the sausages. This should only take 2 minutes or so.
Move the sausages to a plate and stab each sausage with a clove.
Transfer the sausages to an oven proof dish and allow to rest.
Lower the heat and using the same pan used for the sausages, gently sauté the onion, carrot and garlic for 30 minutes.
Allow the aromatics to cook right down and colour gently.
Add the flour and stir about for 1 minute.
Pour in the liquids and bring to the simmer.
Add the cinnamon stick and season with pepper.
Pour this tomato and wine sauce all over and around the sausages and bake covered for 3 hours at 100c or the lowest temperature your oven will cook at.
After 3 hours the sausages will be extremely tender with a delicious gelatinous quality.
Remove the sausages to a plate and fish out the cloves.
Discard the cloves and cut the sausages into halves or as you wish. Keep the sausages warm.
Turn up the oven to the highest setting.
Place the mussels into the sauce in the oven dish used to cook the sausages.
Cook this in the oven, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes or so.
Serve the sausages in bowls with the mussels and sauce spooned over.
Sprinkle with parsley. Serves 2.

Slow Cooking...

I love slow cooking. It allows you to combine natural, simple ingredients with all the flavours coming through at the end. I took this idea from the classic Milanese dish of osso buco and risotto. In fact osso buco was my first choice but the butcher did not have any. So I chose the diced veal option. The braised veal is easy. It all goes into a pot and it is left to simmer for an hour or so. Veal has an amazing texture If you haven’t tried real veal than go to the butcher and get some. It should be pale pink in colour (a bit like chicken ) and have a milky smell. Whatever you do not buy veal from the supermarket. I don’t know what it is but it doesn’t look, smell or taste like veal. How long can they keep fooling people I wonder?

Slow Cooked Veal with Spring Carrots and Garlic

Ingredients
500g diced veal
6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole (organic garlic has a stronger flavour and aroma)
1 celery stalk, cut in 2
1 carrot, sliced through the center
Chicken stock ( fake stock is fine )
1 fresh bouquet garni of thyme and parsley
Fresh white pepper
1-2 tbsp flour
100g celery, destringed and cut into 5cm chunks, extra
100g baby carrots, peeled and trimmed, extra
20g butterFresh chopped parsley to garnish

Method
Place the veal, garlic, celery, carrot and bouquet garni in a pot.
Cover with stock and season with the white pepper. Place a lid over the pot and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour until the veal is tender.
Remove the celery stalks and carrot and discard.
Dissolve the flour with some water in a small bowl. Add it to the veal and bring to the boil, stirring gently to avoid lumps. You may need more or less flour. It depends on the amount of liquid in the pot and how thick you like it. Adjust accordingly.
Add the extra carrot and celery. I do this part whilst I am making the risotto. Simmer until the carrots and celery are tender, about 10 minutes.
Finish by adding the butter to enrich the sauce.
Serve with Risotto Bianco. This makes a hesrty meal for 2.

Risotto Bianco
I dont need to tell you that you need a specific type of rice to make risotto ( I think everyone knows that) The Italians call this class of rice superfino. And there are about 10 varieties within this class. Three of these are available here in Australia, that I know of. They are vialone nano, carnaroli and of course Arborio. Arborio is the most common and cheapest but not the best. The former are superior but also expensive, about $10 a packet compared to $2 for the Arborio. However they are worth it. I must admit that I used Arborio from the supermarket. It was too hot to go on a rice hunting mission yesterday. And if I am going to be a nazi about the rice, then I should mention stock. Fake stock is wrong and out of place for risotto. The artificial flavour is amplified and the result is aggressive and too salty. You must use home made stock. Keep it light and aromatic, not dark and full bodied as you would for demi-glace. Good risotto really depends on these 2 factors. Without them I would not bother. The following recipe is a brief outline.

Ingredients
1-2 tbsp of olive oil
½ onioin, finely chopped
200g of superfine rice
White wine
Hot stock, I used a combination of chicken and rabbit
Salt and fresh white pepper
A few scrapings of nutmeg
Parmesan cheese to taste
1 tbsp of cream
20g butter

Method
Fry the onion in the olive oil until softened but not coloured.
Add the rice and fry it gently for a couple of minutes.
Add a splash of white wine (not too much or the risotto will taste sour). Allow that to absorb over the heat.
Now begin to add the hot stock progressively with stirring until no more can be absorbed and the rice is moist and creamy. How moist you like your risotto is up to you, but make sure the rice is al dente. The entire process should take about 30 minutes.
Season well and finish with the nutmeg, parmesan, butter and cream.
Eat immediately. Risotto should not be reheated but if you must do it in the microwave. Enough for 2 people.