Braised Lamb with Hokkaido Squash and Swiss Cheese Mash

The name of the recipe sounds more intimidating than it really it is. It's actually pretty simple. For Christmas, my husband bought me two cookbooks, one of the two was Gary Rhodes Cookery Year: Fall into Winter. Whenever my husband gifts me with a cookbook, it's sort of a present for himself as well, because he's the first to dive in looking for recipes he'd like for me to try. It's perfectly fine, though! I love to try new things and  the recipes he usually chooses are very different from anything I would think to try myself.


The cut of lamb that I actually braised was the shanks and arm chops. Why? Well, originally I just wanted 4 lamb shanks, but my local butcher, a halal butcher, only had two left. There were also some lamb arm chops available which I read are actually really good to braise so I bought two of those. Lamb shank is cut from the arm of shoulder, contains leg bone and part of round shoulder bone, and is covered by a thin layer of fat and fell (a thin, paperlike covering). This cut of lamb is pretty tough, so one of the best cooking method for it is braising or slow cooking to get that meat nice and fall from the bone tender! It's also a very cheap cut, so this meal looks fancy, but it's pretty cheap! Perfect for an elegant Valentine's dinner on a budget!

The flavor of the lamb was perfection, but not as strong due to long simmering, made fancy with a red wine, and aromatics. The squash with the gruyere cheese was truly a delight. I am not a fan of swiss cheese, but the delighful collaboration on the nutty, slightly sweet squash and the bold, creamy gruyere was absolutely divine. This would make an heavenly side dish with any meal. Originally this recipe called for pumpkin, but from the time I read through the recipe I knew I was going to use hokkaido squash instead! Please give this a try if you want impress your loved ones, lover(s), friends hell anyone. You're welcome ;)



Braised Lamb Shanks With Hokkaido Squash and Swiss Cheese Mash
Slight changes from Gary Rhodes: Cookery Year, pg 59
Printable Recipe
Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
Salt and Pepper
2-3 tablespoons cooking oil
Large knob of butter (heaping tablespoon)
2 onions, each cut into 6 wedges
2 carrots ut into 1/2 inch slices
3 celery sticks, cut into 1/2 inch slices
4 garlic cloves
Large sprig of thyme
2 bay leaves
Juice of 2 oranges and rind of 1
1 bottle full-bodied wine
600ml or 1 pint water
Generous pinch of turbinado sugar
Cornstarch, optional

For Squash
2 1/4lb hokkaido squash, peeled, seeded, and diced about an inch wide
Large knob of butter (heaping tablespoon)
1 heaping tablespoon shallots, chopped finely
Freshly grated nutmeg
2 tablespoon greek yogurt
2 or 3 oz Gruyere cheese, grated

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F (160 C). Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan. roasting pan or dutch oven with cover. When at a medium heat, place the lamb in pan and slowly fry until golden brown all over. This will take up to 15-20 minutes and  a good percentage of the lamb fat will be released. Remove from pan keep warm on plate covered in aluminum foil. Discard any lamb fat and return pan.


Add knob of butter and then add cut vegetables,  garlic cloves, thyme, and bay leaves in the pot. Cook over moderated heat they begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes.


 At this point, add orange juice, orange rind, red wine, 600 ml or 1 pint water and turbinado sugar. Bring to a simmer.

Add lamb to the pot, cover, and put pot into preheated oven.


The secret to really good lamb shanks is to cook them very slowly. This will take about 2-3 hours, be sure to check every 30 minutes, turning and basting the lamb joints, and checking their tenderness. This will quite easily be identified by applying slight pressure by hand or with a spoon- the meat should give, almost wanting to fall from the bone. During the cooking time, should the simmering process be too lively, simply reduce temperature of the oven. After 2 hours have a good check. If still slight firm, leave for another 30 to 60 minutes to achieve perfect carve with spoon texture.

Once cooked, carefully lift the shanks from the pot and keep warm to one side, Strain the liquid through a sieve. If you wish, to serve th vegetables, garlic and herbs, they can be kept with the lamb. The cooking liquid can be served as thin or thick as you want. Be sure to skim impurities from top of liquid during simmering and not to reduce more than half or else wine flavor with be too intense with the lamb. If your looking for a thicker consistency, simply add a tablespoon of cornstarch and whisk briskly until combined, then thickened. Return  shanks and vegetables (if desired) to liquid and warm through for 10-15 minutes.



For Squash

The last 30 minutes the shanks are braising, prepare squash. Add large knob of butter to saucepan, and once bubbling, add shallots. Cook for a few minutes then add squash. Gently cook with out covering, then add 4 tablespoons of water, then cover with lid.

 Cook for 10-15 minutes gently stirring occasionally. Once cooked, drain, then add to serving dish and mash. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg; then add greek yogurt. Spread out nicely, then add grated gruyere cheese. By this time, shanks should be out of oven, so preheat the broiler, then broil squash until cheese turns golden and bubbly.


Serve along with lamb and veggies. Enjoy! preferably with a glass of red!