Lamb Shanks with Lemon Risotto

Source: Bon Appetit Oct. 2010

Ingredients

• 6 lamb shanks, 6 to 7 lbs
• all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• ⅔ cup chopped peeled carrots
• ⅔ cup chopped onion
• ⅔ cup chopped celery
• 4 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 4 cups low-salt beef broth
• 3 cups dry white wine
• 1½ cups chopped fresh tomatoes
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground allspice
• 4 sprigs each fresh thyme, rosemary, and Italian parsley
• 1 lemon, halved

Method

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle lamb with salt and pepper; coat with flour. Heat oil in large ovenproof pot over medium heat. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 12 minutes.

Transfer to large bowl. Add carrots, onion, and celery to pot; saute until light brown, about 12 minutes. Add both broths and wine; stir, scraping up browned bits. Add next 7 ingredients and herb sprigs. Squeeze in juice from lemon halves; add lemon halves and lamb. Bring to simmer, cover tightly, and transfer to oven.

Braise lamb until very tender, about 2½ hours. Transfer to large plate. Boil juices until reduced to 2½ cups, about 45 minutes. Return lamb to pot to rewarm.

DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium heat. Top lemon risotto on each plate with 1 lamb shank. Spoon some of sauce from pot over lamb. Sprinkle chopped parsley over and serve.

Notes

This is a wonderful recipe and it gets better with time. It looks good with the colors from the Lemon Risotto. Sometimes I take the meat from the bone and put it, with sauce, over risotto. Easy to eat.