Lamb Shanks with Cannellini Beans

Soft, melt in your mouth Lamb, with a mouth-watering array of flavours and textures. Sure fire comfort food, this dish is great either on its own, or with creamy mashed potatoes.

To Serve 4
250g Cannellini Beans (soaked overnight in water)
2tbsp Sunflower Oil
1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
4 Carrots, chopped
2 Celery Sticks, thinly sliced
1 Clove of Garlic, chopped
4 Large Lamb Shanks
400g Canned Chopped Tomatoes
300ml Red Wine
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 Orange
2 Bay Leaves
3 Rosemary Sprigs
225ml Water
Salt and Pepper

1.       Heat the oven to 160 C. Drain the soaked Beans and rinse under cold running water, before putting into a large pan of cold water and bring to the boil, then boil rapidly for ten minutes, whilst removing anything floating on the surface. Drain and set aside

2.       Heat oil in a large, flameproof casserole dish, and add the Onion and cook for five minutes, or until they’ve softened. Add the Carrots and Celery, cook for a further five minutes (or until the Onion begins to brown). At this point, spread the vegetables to the sides of the pan.

3.       Add the Lamb Shanks to the pan, and brown off all over. Add the Beans, Wine, Tomatoes and Orange Zest and Juice, and stir. Add in the Rosemary and Bay Leaves. Pour the water in, so that the liquid comes around halfway up the Shanks. Season with Pepper (don’t use the salt yet – it will stop the beans from softening)

4.       Bring to the boil on a hob, then cover and cook in the oven for around an hour. Turn the Shanks over and then cook for another ninety minutes, until the Lamb and Beans are tender. Remove the Bay Leaves, taste, and season.

Serve either on its own, or for a bigger meal, serve with Mashed Potatoes.