No-Oven Lamb Shanks with Mashed Potatoes
Lamb shanks – the ultimate fancy dish that’s perfect for a Western-style dinner party with friends and family. With both Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, here’s an additional easy, no-bake Lamb Shank with Mashed Potatoes, a made-from-scratch recipe that is sure to wow your guests!
Tender, fall-of-the-bone and rich, this Lamb Shank dish is just scrumptious. The gravy is complex with lots of fresh herbs and ground spices, chicken broth and lamb juices. It’s served with smooth and creamy Mashed Potatoes made from boiled, peeled and whisked Holland potatoes. Together, they make a complete fancy meal for that special dinner.
The dry marinade is grounded from dried herbs, which adds an intense flavour and fragrance to the lamb. It’s perfect to counter the gamey-ness of lamb that is sometimes present in the meat. The lamb is marinated for a minimum of 3 hours to 24 hours for the best results. Then, it is seared completely and braised until fall-of-the-bone tender in the same pot. While the lamb is braising, the potatoes are boiled and whisked until smooth before chilling.
While it takes a little more effort and time than usual, the taste and experience make it very special.
Serves 4 adults.
Ingredients
Lamb shanks; I used frozen ones, thawed overnight in the fridge, but fresh ones would be amazing as well.
The dry marinade:
- White peppercorns
- Coriander seeds
- Coarse black pepper
- Dried thyme leaves
- Dried rosemary leaves
- Chilli powder, for some spiciness
- Garlic powder
- Bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
- Sugar, which adds a bit of sweetness and acts as a tenderizer.
Olive oil, to add a herbal flavour and acts as a binder for the dry marinade.
Cooking oil, unscented. It is used to sear the lamb shanks – both to lock in the flavours as it braises and to create fond (bits of caramelized meat or vegetables in the pan) for the gravy.
Red wine, which is optional. It imparts a burst of sweetness, deepening the flavour and intensity of the gravy.
The vegetables for the lamb shanks. They add natural sweetness to the gravy:
And lastly, fresh herbs for infused fragrance, as well as a light garnish and decoration:
For the mashed potatoes, I used the following ingredients:
Potato – I used Holland potatoes. They are quite starchy, which is perfect to whisk into a smooth, velvety mash.
Salt, to taste.
Sugar, for a hint of sweetness.
Cooking cream, to thicken the mashed potatoes and add creaminess.
Steps
Here are the brief steps to make Lamb Shanks with Mashed Potatoes:
- Make the dry marinade.
- Marinate the lamb shanks.
- Rest lamb shanks in the fridge.
- Boil the potatoes.
- Peel the skin off the potatoes.
- Whisk potatoes with salt, sugar and cooking cream.
- Keep chilled in the fridge.
- Sear the lambs all around.
- Add broth, vegetables, herbs and seasonings.
- Braise the lamb shanks for 2.5 hours, turning them every 10 minutes.
- Taste and adjust.
- Plate and serve.
Tips
- Using freshly grounded dried herbs turns them easily into powder form, while inducing a stronger aroma and flavour to the dish than readily-available ground spices.
- Bringing the lamb shanks to room temperature before cooking keeps them nice and juicy.
- Soaking the potatoes in water before peeling them cools the exterior slightly so that they are still hot, but cool enough to handle.
- Work quickly to peel the potatoes as they should be whipped when warm to get a smooth, creamy mash, as opposed to a lumpy one when cold.
- Searing the lamb shank’s exterior locks in the juices and helps them keep their shape once super tender. It also creates fond, which adds a deep flavour to the gravy.
- Chilling the mashed potatoes beforehand makes them firmer (though no less creamier) so that it can hold up the lamb shank easily.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!
Storage Instructions
Once marinated, the lamb shanks can be kept in the fridge for up to 3 days in the air-tight, sealed zip-lock bag. While the mashed potatoes can be chilled in the fridge for a few hours.
It is recommended to cook the mashed potatoes on the same day the lamb shanks are cooked for the best flavour. I do not recommend keeping the mashed potatoes overnight, as it can cause bloatedness by the following day.
Once cooked, the lamb shanks can be kept in an air-tight container, for about 3-5 days in the fridge. Red meat tends to absorb the gravy better over a long period of resting time. Make sure to thoroughly heat it up before consuming.
They can also be kept frozen for about 2 months in the freezer. Make sure to allow them to thaw and them heat them up thoroughly before consuming.
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No-Oven Lamb Shanks with Mashed Potato
Equipment
- Grinder
- Basin
- Zip Lock Bag
- Wok
- Food Tongs
- Turner
- Sharp Kitchen Knife
- Chopping Board
- Cling Wrap
- Stand Mixer
- Spatula
Ingredients
Dry Marinade
- 1 tsp white peppercorn, dried
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, dried
- 1/2 tbsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves, dried
- 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, dried
- 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
- 1 tbsp garlic powder
- 5 bay leaves, small
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 1 tbsp sugar
Lamb Shanks
- 1.6 kg lamb shank, 4 pieces
- 1/2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil, enough to coat the shanks
- 180 ml cooking oil, unscented
- 1.5 L water
- 1 can button mushrooom
- 3 yellow onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 carrots, medium-sized, peeled
- 2 celery, medium-sized, washed
- 5 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 stalk rosemary, fresh
- 6 stalk thyme, fresh
- 1 tsp salt
- 150 ml red wine
Mashed Potatoes
- 1 kg potatoes, Holland
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp sugar
- 150 ml cooking cream, optional
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients.
Marinating Lamb Shanks
- Add white peppercorns, coriander seeds, coarse black pepper, dried thyme leaves, rosemary leaves, chilli powder, garlic powder and bay leaves to the grinder and grind them for 1 minute until very fine. Transfer to a small bowl.
- Add 1/2 tbsp of salt and 1 tbsp sugar to the bowl. Mix until well combined.
- Marinate the lamb shanks with 1/2 tbsp of salt in 2 parts. Cover all areas as evenly as possible.
- Drizzle the olive oil over the lamb shanks, before rubbing them generously all around the lamb shanks. Spread 1 tsp of the grounded herb powder for each lamb shank, and rub until the shanks are well-coated with it. Use up all the herb powder, even the ones that fell into the tray.
- Place all the lamb shanks into a zip-lock bag and seal it, removing as much air as possible. Put the zip lock bag in a container and place it in the fridge to marinate for 3-24 hours.
- On the day that the lamb shanks are to be cooked, remove them from the fridge to let them rest at room temperature for about 1 hour.
Mashed Potatoes
- Add the potatoes in a large stockpot. Add 1.5L of water, or enough that the potatoes are fully submerged, and 1 tbsp of salt. Stir to dissolve the salt in the water.
- Cook the potatoes on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until a fork can pierce through the potatoes when poked.
- Transfer the potatoes to a basin of water. Let them soak in the water for about 20 seconds. Drain the water, and carefully peel the skins off the potatoes. Place the peeled potatoes into a large bowl, or the mixer.
- Add 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tbsp of sugar and cooking cream to the potatoes. Whisk for 1 minute, scraping the sides, or mash until they come together. Transfer to a serving bowl or casserole.
- Cling wrap the mashed potatoes and place it the fridge to chill.
Cooking Lamb Shanks
- In a wok over medium heat, add the cooking oil and allow it to warm up.
- Transfer the lamb shanks into the wok to sear them, for 30 minutes, or until fully browned. Turn and rotate the shanks often to get an even browning on all sides.
- Add 1.5L of water, and ensure that all the lamb shanks are fully submerged in the water.
- Add the button mushrooms, yellow onions, carrots, celery, garlic, 12g of fresh rosemary, 10g of fresh thyme and 1 tsp of salt. Stir gently to spread the vegetables and distribute the salt evenly.
- Cover the wok and let it braise for 2.5 hours, or until the gravy has reduced, and the lamb shanks are tender. Stir and rotate the lamb shanks every 10 to 20 minutes to prevent the ingredients from burning at the bottom of the wok.
- After 2.5 hours, pierce the lamb shanks with a fork to check on the texture.
- Taste and adjust the gravy.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the red wine (optional), the rest of the fresh rosemary and fresh thyme. Stir the gravy, and turn the lamb shanks so they are coated with the gravy. Switch off the heat.
- Allow the shanks to rest in the gravy for a minimum of 2 hours for the best flavour.
- Dish the lamb shank and vegetables onto individual plates, with a serving of mashed potatoes. Drizzle the gravy over the shanks and potatoes, before garnishing with freshly chopped parsley and a twig of rosemary.
Video
Notes
- Using freshly grounded dried herbs turns them easily into powder form, while inducing a stronger aroma and flavour to the dish than readily-available ground spices.
- Bringing the lamb shanks to room temperature before cooking keeps them nice and juicy.
- Soaking the potatoes in water before peeling them cools the exterior slightly so that they are still hot, but cool enough to handle.
- Work quickly to peel the potatoes as they should be whipped when warm to get a smooth, creamy mash, as opposed to a lumpy one when cold.
- Searing the lamb shank’s exterior locks in the juices and helps them keep their shape once super tender. It also creates fond, which adds a deep flavour to the gravy.
- Chilling the mashed potatoes beforehand makes them firmer (though no less creamier) so that it can hold up the lamb shank easily.
- Make sure to watch the full video to see how I made it exactly!