Sunday 22 May 2011

Patara Lamb Shanks

I've been craving this patara lamb shanks for a couple of weeks and so pleased to finally made it today. This lamb shanks stew/curry takes a little over two hours to cook which is not that long, come one, but whilst it's cooking in the oven, there's nothing much you need to do than to enjoy the delicious smell filling your home.

The lamb is exquisitely tender but still holding to the bone... The runny broth is pretty spicy, at least for me. I can only handle certain amount of heat. I like warm heat, not burning. So, make sure you keep tasting and adjust the flavour to your liking.

Unless you know how to make panang/penang curry paste, you may need to make a trip to your local oriental grocery store to find the ready made paste, and Nigella's recommended brand is Mae Ploy. Have a look for Thai basil as well, but you can certainly substitute with fresh coriander/cilantro as I did. I am a freak for coriander though, so do as you please.

I'm gonna be away again from tomorrow to London for work, and I've managed to make a couple of reservations for the evening which I will tell you all about it later when I returned.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and have a great week ahead.


Patara Lamb Shanks
Recipe by Nigella Lawson
Serves 6

1 x 15ml tablespoon vegetable oil
6 lamb shanks
salt and pepper
3 x 400ml cans coconut milk
1 litre water
4 x 15ml tablespoons panang curry paste
3 x 15ml tablespoons fish sauce
1 1/2 x 15ml tablespoons light brown sugar
spritz of lime juice, plus whole limes cut into wedges
small bunch Thai basil or fresh coriander
rice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 170 C. Heat the oil in a large wide casserole, oven proof pan, and season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper before browning them in the pan. You might need to do this in batches.

Get rid of the oil in the pan carefully, then put the shanks back in with the coconut milk and 1 litre of water, which should cover the lamb. Cover and cook in the preheated oven for 2 - 2 1/2 hours, until exquisitely tender.

Once out of the oven, remove the shanks to a roasting dish, along with 1 litre of the coconutty stock they have been cooking in. Cover with foil and put back in the oven, turning it down to 150 C. Leave the rest of the stock in the casserole.

Add the panang paste, fish sauce, sugar and spritz of lime to a bowl and whisk with a ladleful or so of the coconutty stock from the pan, then whisk the mixture back to the casserole pan. Take the roasting dish of shanks out of the oven and add them back to the casserole, throwing away the litre of the coconut liquid.

Chop the Thai basil or coriander and add most of that, keeping some back for a final sprinkling at the end. Put the casserole over medium heat and simmer the lamb for 5 minutes or so, making sure everything is heated through.

Serve the lamb shanks in wide, shallow bowls with Thai scented rice or jasmine rice, giving each person a shank and a ladleful of sauce. Sprinkle some more Thai basil or corainder over each bowl, and serve with lime wedges.

15 comments:

  1. Michael, your lamb shank looks absolutely delicious! This I have to try!
    Have a grand time in Paris on your visit. You lucky gourmand! Whenever I find myself there I just look around the fancy patisseries like Laduree or Le pain de sucre and go to Le Bon Marche department store at their food hall and buy the same pastry at a better price. This is a tip from a tourist with a shoestring budget. Cheers!!!

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  2. This really is superb cooking Michael. I love lamb shanks and this recipe is a great twist on a traditional roast. Have fun on your trips. X

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  3. We adore curries in any shape or form! I noticed this one in Nigella's book, I'll go and have another look now that I've seen yours.

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  4. Whoa, Michael, what an elegant and fancy looking dish! You should definitely have a fun dinner party and serve these. Great job with this one.

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  5. Delicious! I wish I could get Chris to eat lamb...I would make this tonight!
    Have fun in London :)

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  6. this looks awesome! nice job! loves it, thanks for the post!
    -meg
    @http://clutzycooking.blogspot.com

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  7. I have yet to try lamb, but I love curry. This dish is lovely. I love the color combination you put together. Thanks for sharing!

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  8. Oh Michael, nice meal....I have never cooked lamb. Your sure look very tempting. Hope you have a great week ahead :-)

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  9. These lamb shanks look decadent and delicious! I hope you'll get to create a fun bread pudding to join the club this month :)

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  10. I've been craving for Lamb shanks too ay. Something curry-ish and hearty. I hate how shanks are pretty damn pricey nowadays.

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  11. Such a different version for lamb shanks. Love the curry and coconut milk. Beautiful presentation, as well!
    Have a wonderful time in Paris...oh, how I envy you:D

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  12. Michael, you do cook up the best meals at home! This Patara lamb shank looks drooly, or rather it makes me drooly... I'm also crazy about coriander, I use it a LOT in my cooking! Does that make us freaks? I hope so ;-). Hope your trip was good, please share with us your dining sojourns and proceed to make us green with envy. LOL.

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  13. Oh wow! I must admit I don't make lamb much but I really really enjoy it. And this, well this just looks superb! I'm going to have to try this one soon!

    Lots of yummy love,
    Alex aka Ma What's For Dinner
    www.mawhats4dinner.com

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  14. I have a friend that loves lamb so I prepare it now and again when he is visiting...this would be perfect! Hope your trip went well :)

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