Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks with Garlic Dip

FEATURING MONJAY MEZZA’S GARLIC DIP

Not much needs to be done to enjoy our products, Break open a packet of your favourite crackers or cut a carrot into batons and dip away. Or simply arrange our delicious finger foods on a platter and watch them crowd around. But the potential of our range is so much more, and we want to prove it. So we've created our very own recipe page to show you the versatility of our products. Dips to marinate or bake with, finger food transformed into main meals - the limit is your imagination.

YIELDS: 4 Servings
COOK TIME: 3 hr 30 mins

Everyone should have a tried and true braised dish in their repertoire to warm those chilly winter nights. This slow cooked lamb shank recipe is one of our favourites, a true classic that’s a cinch to make and delicious to eat.

We’ve chosen to accompany this dish with our famous Monjay Mezza Garlic Dip; we’ve found its kick marries well with the slightly sweet and rich lamb. But, of course, there’s no wrong answer. Eggplant and lamb are a match made in heaven, so it’s a no-brainer to swap in our Eggplant Dip, or even our Labneh Dip. Why not all of them? Less isn’t always more, after all.

Ingredients

150 ml white wine, plus extra
4 lamb shanks
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp ground cinammon
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
Olive oil
4 shallots, peeled and halved
2 fennel bulbs, quartered lengthwise, fronds reserved
500ml chicken stock (homemade is best, bought will do)
100g pitted dates
Monjay Mezza Garlic Dip

How to Prepare

Pour some white wine into a glass. Take a sip.

Make four or five small incisions in each lamb shank.

In a mortar and pestle, smoosh the garlic with some salt. Strip off the rosemary leaves, chop roughly and add to the garlic with the lemon zest and cinnamon. Bruise it all together, then add some generous glugs of olive oil. Mix.

Push this delicious emulsion into the incisions you’ve made in the lamb. Don’t worry if you can’t get it all in.

Place a heavy-based casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and, when nice and hot, sear the lamb shanks on all sides. Don’t make it too crowded; do it in batches if necessary.

Tuck the pieces of onion and fennel around the lamb and let them brown in those heavenly juices. After 5 minutes or so, pour in the wine and deglaze. Pour in the stock, along with any remaining garlic emulsion, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. Bring to the simmer, pop the lid on and place in the oven.

Give it around two and a half hours, then take it out and place the dates on top so they’re just sitting on the surface. Pour over the lemon juice and adjust seasoning if required. Cover and put back in the oven for half an hour. These times are really a guide; when the meat flakes from the bone, it’s ready.

To serve, you can either flake the meat off the bone, or place a lamb shank on each plate and let other people do the work. Take the lid off the Monjay Mezza Garlic Dip and place in the middle of the table with a spoon, and let people dollop on as much as they’d like. This dish works brilliantly with a fluffy pilaf, scattered with pistachios and cranberries. But for something simpler (and quicker), a creamy mash is great for soaking up that lovely gravy. Steamed green beans on the side work well, too.

Monjay Mezza is the home of traditional Middle Eastern Dips, Finger Food and Desserts.

Featured Dip

Garlic Dip

This versatile dip is the perfect accompaniment to fresh fruit, in wraps and sandwiches, or as a tangy side to a meat dish. Mix our labneh with olive oil and fresh herbs such as parsley, dill or marjoram to make a fresh taste that all will enjoy. For a decadent treat to go with coffee, split open dates and stuff with our special labneh, then sprinkle with crushed pistachios. The very definition of indulgence!

Learn more about our Garlic Dip View our full Gourmet Dip range