Sundays in my house mean one thing: slow-cooked lamb shanks with arborio rice. Picture this: the lamb shanks sizzling in the pot while I dance around the kitchen. I season the shanks, sear them in a hot pan, sauté a mix of veg, then deglaze the pan with a generous splash of red wine.
After a couple of hours of simmering, the meat is so tender it falls off the bone. Meanwhile, I whip up some delicious arborio rice, creating a luxurious combination that’s fancy enough for Sunday but easy enough for a relaxed afternoon.
Who needs a fancy restaurant when you’ve got a pot of lamb shanks and arborio rice bubbling away at home?
Slow-cooked Italian Lamb Shanks
Raquel Bosustow
I love cooking at home on Sunday afternoons. It's my happiest place, especially in the kitchen. I enjoy the relaxed vibe of ending the weekend with some footy on in the background, a glass of wine in hand, and the fire warming the house in winter or a cool breeze flowing through in summer. This is one of my favorite weekly rituals, and I always make sure there are leftovers for the start of the week.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Serves 4
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 lamb shanks
- 1 red onion, diced
- 3 celery sticks, diced
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 cup red wine, 250 ml
- 2 cups chicken stock, 500 ml
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 2 cups arborio rice
- 1 red capsicum
- 1 cup green peas
Heat the oven to 180°C / Gas 4. Add oil to a large oven-proof frying pan, brown shanks, then add diced vegetables and tomato paste. Cook for a few minutes
Add red wine and stock plus all the other ingredients except rice
Top up with water to cover the shanks.
Cover with foil and roast for 90 mins at 180°c in the preheated oven (you may need to top up with water along the way)
After 60 minutes, cook the rice following packet instructions.
Once the rice and shanks are cooked, remove the shanks from the pan and shred the meat.
Add the shredded meat to the liquid and add the rice.
Serve:
Individual bowls with a sprinkle of fresh herbs such as parsley or basil.
A bowl of grated parmesean.
A full bodied red wine!
Course | Main Course
Cuisine | Italian
Ⓒ | Raquel Bosustow