Lamb Shanks with Roasted Onions

This is a great meal for a Sunday dinner which is what I made it for and I have to say it certainly hit the spot. Feel free to swop red onions for shallots which are also great in the oven.


[Serves 4]

Ingredients

4 x 350g lamb shanks
6 garlic cloves
2 tbsp olive oil
1tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
4 red onions
350g carrots, cut into thin batons

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Using a small knife make incisions in each shank. Cutting the garlic cloves into small slices insert them into the incisions.

Place the shanks in a roasting tin, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with rosemary and season with pepper. Place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile wrap each of the onions in foil. After 45 minutes is up, remove the roasting tin from the oven and season with salt. Return to the oven with the onions on the shelf beside the roasting tin and cook for a further 60-75 minutes until the lamb is ready.

In the meantime bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the carrots for 1 minute, drain and wash under cold water.

When the lamb shanks are ready, transfer them to a warm serving dish and pour the fat from the roasting tin into a saucepan and cook the carrots for 2 minutes adding boiling water and cooking until ready.

Transfer the shanks and carrots to the plate. Remove the onions from the oven and unwrap the foil. Cut off and discard the ends of the onions removing the outer layer and serve.

You can create a gravy with any excess fat from the roasting tin forextra flavour.