I do enjoy a good bit o’ lamb. I also enjoy anchovies, to the point where I could eat an entire jar, straight from said jar. Bringing my two loves together, I’ve created Lamb Shank alla Puttanesca – the ultimate surf and turf.

The lamb shank – the lower part of Larry Lamb’s leg – is in general a super cheap cut of meat, the exception being central London of course. Our capital is seeing a major increase in shank popularity, it’s becoming a window piece for trendy butchers as well as an up-and-coming dish for higher tier restaurants. All of this ensures that we have to fork out a little more of our hard earned penny if we want zone 1 lamb. This resurgence of the shank is hardly surprising; it looks fantastic when stood proudly atop a creamy mash base, and, when braised for an indulgent period of time, is tenderer than you can possibly believe. Compound these attributes with the fact that you can stick several in a casserole and leave them to do their own thing whilst you continue to prepare other courses, have an apéritif (or three) or even take a bath, and you’re onto a real winner. So yes, the lamb shank is back and it looks like it’s here to stay. Hurray!

ménage à shank

Puttanesca, a salty tomato sauce that originates from Naples, Italy, is to be slopped all over spaghetti – Spaghetti alla Puttanesca – and consists mainly of anchovies, capers, garlic and olives immersed in chopped tomatoes. The olives will be dropped here though. The word ‘puttanesca’ derives from ‘puttana’ – the Italian for whore – and so ‘alla puttanesca’ is roughly translated to ‘in the style of a whore’. There are several tales that you can find on the Internet but the exact origin of the saucy title remains unclear, it’s true however that most stories are based on just how ‘quick and easy’ the sauce is to make. Oh, how this tickles me!

Abraising!

Ingredients:

2 or 3 lamb shanks
1 slug of oil
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
150ml good red wine
150ml stock of your choice
6 anchovy fillets, coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
3 rosemary sprigs
800g chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp tomato purée
1 Tbsp capers
1 Tbsp basil, chopped
some creamy mash potato

Preparation & Cooking:

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Roll the shanks in salt and pepper then place them into a sufficiently large casserole with a splash of oil. Put the lid on and place over medium-high heat until nicely browned all over, 7-10 minutes.

Remove the shanks and put to one side. Fry the garlic in the casserole for 2 minutes. Add the stock and wine, and let simmer for a couple of minutes.

Add the bay leaves, rosemary sprigs, chopped tomatoes, tomato purée and 3 of the anchovy fillets. Return to a boil and put the shanks back into the casserole with the sauce. Put the lid on and return to the oven to simmer until cooked. The shanks are perfectly cooked when the meat is almost falling from the bone, roughly 3 hours. Hopefully, the shank meat is completely submerged in the sauce – it doesn’t matter if a bit of bone breaches the surface – if not, add some more chopped tomatoes and stock, and return to a boil. Alternatively, roll the shanks over every 40 minutes, spooning some sauce onto the tip of the lambberg each time.

Triumph

Once cooked, remove the shanks from the sauce and set aside to rest. Put the casserole on medium-high heat and add the basil, capers and the rest of the anchovies to the sauce. Simmer and stir for 3-4 minutes.

Carefully place each shank on a bed of creamy mash potato, pour on some sauce and tuck in!