Lamb shank with apricots, almonds, and wild ramps and a stew of lentils

NOTE: This preparation calls for lentil stew, a separate recipe for a great side dish in its own right and perfect with the lamb.  Also, the recipe calls for pickled ramps, another separate recipe. Whenever you find ramps (watch in late winter or early spring), you really should enjoy them.

This recipe was one of our early experiments in endurance.  The ingredient list makes it look more daunting than it really is.  And the results are not only a near-complete meal, it's really quite something, with lots of flavors. The recipe comes from a rather inspired cookbook called The Elements of Taste by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.  It’s worth checking out.  And this recipe, it seemed to me, really showed off their theory of flavors.  Here’s what the authors say about it.

The fruity, acid, marinade/braising liquid gives great definition to the soft slow cooked lamb. This marinade showcases the meat rather than hiding it as often happens with a classic brown sauce. Honey and mustard balance one another in smoothing the meat and refreshing the palate. 

The deep meatiness of this dish is a platform that supports everything else. There is a slight floral herbal perfume at the outset. This leads into the sharp and tangy pickling juice which, with the spices, focuses the palate. The ramps are sharp and bulby, so they pull up meatiness and punctuate it. The almonds add crunch, which again punctuates, and also adds a light bitterness. The result is that the unctuous meat is contained, and comes on in waves of flavor.

As you might imagine, if the dish performs as advertised, it will be remarkable.  

This also calls for the delicious lentil stew recipe.  Don’t forget to make that, too.

Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade	Sauce
¾ cup carrots in thick rounds ¼ cup roughly chopped celery root 1 large onion, diced ¼ cup roughly chopped ginger 1 large leek, split 8 cloves garlic, left whole	Strained braising liquid (see above) 3 tablespoons prepared mustard 2 tablespoons honey (eucalyptus if available) 2 tablespoons butter Kosher salt Freshly ground white pepper
2 shallots, roughly cut 3 cloves 1 tablespoon ground cumin ½ tablespoon ground mace ½ tablespoon whole black peppercorns 1 medium bunch thyme 1 small bunch rosemary 4 cups crushed tomatoes 4 cups dry white wine ½ cup lemon juice	Topping 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ½ cup apricot almonds (or almonds) Kosher salt Freshly ground white pepper 2 tablespoons dried homemade bread crumbs 5 sprigs of thyme, picked ½ cup chopped dried apricots ½ cup pickled ramps (make this ahead) ⅓ cup mint, roughly chopped then measured
Lamb 4 lamb shanks Marinade (see above) Kosher salt Freshly ground white pepper 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil 2 tablespoons flour 2 cups water	⅓ cup chopped chives ⅓ cup parsley, roughly chopped then measured 2 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

Coat the shanks with the marinade and refrigerate for one to two days (the longer the better).

Drain the shanks and the marinade vegetables, reserving the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil in a saucepan, then strain through cheesecloth. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 275°F. Season the shanks with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or braising pan over medium high heat. Add the shanks and brown on all sides, 8 minutes. Remove and set aside. Next, caramelize the vegetables, cooking until browned and tender. Add the flour, and mix to coat the vegetables. Deglaze with the boiled marinade liquid, then return the shanks to the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in the oven until the lamb is very tender, about 3½ hours. Add water if it has reduced too much. Remove the shanks and cover with tin foil to keep warm. Strain the braising liquid through a sieve, pressing the vegetables so that they thicken up the liquid. Degrease and reserve.

Make the sauce: Heat the braising liquid in a saucepan over low heat. Add the mustard, honey, and butter and beat with an immersion blender (or whisk) until frothy. Add salt, pepper, and finish with pickling juice to taste. Beat or whisk again and keep warm.

Make the topping: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds, season with salt and pepper, and roast until fragrant. Add the bread crumbs and cook until golden, then add the thyme and a bit more salt and pepper.

In another pan, heat the chopped apricots with the pickled ramps over medium heat. Swirl in the butter.

PLATING

Place lentil stew in the bottom of four wide soup plates. Place a lamb shank in each. Spoon sauce over the shanks and lentils. Top with apricot-almond-ramp mixture. Garnish with mint, chives, and parsley if desired, then serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The pickled ramps must be made at least a day ahead of the rest.  Braised food really do tend to get better overnight, so you could make the lamb shanks ahead, refigerate them in the braising liquid, and then pick up with straining and reducing the braising liquid for the sauce, and reheating the lamb shanks before serving.  On the other hand, reheating the lamb shanks without the braising liquid could be complicated and might risk drying them out.  I think I'd recommend working through most of it the day you serve it...