The braised lamb shanks reminiscent of yiayia’s cooking
This moreish slow-cooked lamb has a satiny feel and zesty tang.
Until very recently, it felt as though Greek food in the West was seen as basic or crude – constantly compared and found inferior to the perennially popular cuisine of its elegant neighbour, Italy. So it’s a thrill to see Greek and Cypriot cuisine having some time in the spotlight. The food is undeniably similar: an abundance of sun-charged vegetables, pasta and grains and slow-cooked meats span both countries. What Greece and Cyprus also have is a heavy influence from the east. Spices, barbecues, mezedes, dips and floral sweets. This sort of food and cooking lends itself to sociable eating. I want to feed you from a table groaning with food, but I also want to chat to you (in a too-loud voice while gesticulating lots) and not be slaving away behind a stove.
Using a whisked egg and lemon mixture is a popular way to thicken sauces all over Greece and Cyprus. If you haven’t ever tried this, it might seem like a difficult idea to get on board with, but trust me – the mixture gives a dish a satiny feel as the eggs gently cook and enrich the sauce, and the lemon brings a welcome fresh tang. It’s the perfect way to finish this tender lamb braise that looks and tastes like spring in a pan.
Try my other Greek-inspired recipes: eggplant and feta pasta (skordostoumbi) and caramelised butter beans.
This is an edited extract from Greekish by Georgia Hayden (Bloomsbury, $55). Photography by Laura Edwards.
Greek-style lamb shanks
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks, 400g each
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Olive oil
- 1 bunch of spring onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 preserved lemons
- 1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- 1.25 litres chicken stock
- Pinch of saffron, optional
- 2 little gem lettuces
- 2 heads of endive
- ½ bunch of dill
- 4 large eggs
- 2 lemons
Method
- Season the lamb shanks well with salt and pepper. Place a good drizzle of olive oil in a large casserole dish or pan on a medium heat. Fry the shanks for about 10 minutes, turning, until they are browned all over.
- Meanwhile, trim and cut the spring onions in 1cm to 2cm slices, then peel and finely slice the garlic. Cut the preserved lemons in half, scoop out and discard the flesh and pips, and finely slice the skin.
- Finely chop the parsley, stalks and all.
- When the lamb is ready, push it to one side in the pan and add the spring onions, garlic and the preserved lemon skin. Saute for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the parsley, then pour in the stock. Add the pinch of saffron (if using) and bring everything to the boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 2½ hours, or until the lamb is tender. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to turn the lamb over a few times if the shanks aren’t submerged.
- When the lamb is almost ready, trim, wash and slice the little gem and endive. Pick and chop the dill fronds. Add the chopped salad and most of the chopped dill to the pan and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Crack the eggs into a large bowl, season well and squeeze in the juice of the lemons. Whisk until smooth and foamy. Working quickly, ladle some hot stock from the lamb into the egg mixture and keep whisking to stop it scrambling. Do this with a few ladles of hot stock until you have a smooth mixture.
- Pour the mixture into the casserole, stirring into the stock until combined, then warm through for only a minute or two.
- You want the base to become creamy and rich, but not bubble and scramble. Remove from the heat and leave uncovered, so the fricassee thickens as it cools.
- Serve with the remaining dill sprinkled over the top.
Serves 4
