Braised Lamb Shanks On Soft Polenta With Bay Leaves

Recipe Ingredients

2 cups	474ml	Hot water
1/2 cup	118ml	Dried porcini mushrooms
2 cups	474ml	Oranges (large)
4		Turkish bay leaves
2		Fresh rosemary sprigs (large)
4		Whole cloves
6 tablespoons	90ml	Extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups	125g / 4.4oz	Finely-chopped onions
6		Lamb shanks - (1 lb ea)
1 cup	237ml	Dry red wine
		= (such as Barolo)
1/4 cup	59ml	Tomato paste
8 cups	1896ml	Low-salt chicken broth
		Soft Polenta With Bay Leaves - (see recipe)

Recipe Instructions

Combine 2 cups hot water and mushrooms in small bowl. Let stand until mushrooms soften, about 30 minutes.

Using vegetable peeler, remove peel (orange part only) from oranges in long strips. Squeeze juice from oranges; reserve peel and juice. Tie bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, and cloves in square of moistened cheesecloth.

Heat 4 tablespoons olive oil in wide pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; saute until golden, about 12 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer onions to small bowl.

Add 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper. Add 3 lamb shanks to pot. Saute until brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer to plate. Repeat with remaining shanks.

Return onions to pot. Using slotted spoon, add mushrooms, then mushroom soaking liquid, leaving any sediment in bowl. Add orange peel and juice, herb bundle, wine, and tomato paste. Boil 5 minutes, scraping up browned bits.

Return lamb to pot, arranging in single layer. Add broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover; simmer 30 minutes. Partially uncover pot. Simmer until lamb is tender, turning every 15 minutes, about 1 1/2 hours longer.

Transfer lamb to bowl. Tilt pot and spoon fat off top of sauce. Boil until sauce is thick enough to coat spoon lightly and is reduced to 5 cups, about 35 minutes. Discard herb bundle and orange peel. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Return lamb to pot, spooning sauce over to coat. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate lamb, uncovered, until cold, then cover and keep refrigerated. Rewarm over low heat before continuing.)

Spoon polenta onto large platter. Arrange lamb atop polenta. Spoon sauce over lamb and serve.

This recipe yields 6 servings.

Source:
Bon Appetit, September 2003

Rating

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8 (1 votes)

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