Great Plates: Red Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks and Inspired Vegetables

We love farm-to-table freshness from dawn to dusk. Four seasons a year. Day in and day out. Our wonderful recipe creator, chef, and food stylist Veda Sankaran channeled our “buy fresh, buy local” passion into a collection of farm-driven recipes perfect for the harvest season. Let’s get out there and savor the next two months of farmers’ markets and farmstands.

The deep, slow-cooked flavors of Red Wine-Braised Lamb Shanks with figs and apricots are perfect for that first chilly autumn evening. We’re fans of Pure Bred Lamb. purebredlamb.com

Winter Greens with Bacon and Shredded Coconut turn the classic idea of braised greens into an intercontinental adventure. Head over to Blackberry Meadows for the bacon. blackberrymeadows.com

Parsnips from Who Cooks for You Farm will convert parsnip skeptics into impassioned fans with Veda’s Roasted Parsnip Mash with Black Garlic Puree. whocooksforyoufarm.com

The sweetness of fresh kernels from Triple B Farms elevates the crisp, layered flavors of Fennel Corn Salad. triplebfarms.com

All of these recipes by Veda Sankaran are online at tablemagazine.com along with a bonus: recipes for three kinds of compound butter to slather on fresh bread with your “Great Plates” meals.

Red Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Figs & Apricots

4 lamb shanks (approximately 5 ½ lb)*
Olive oil
Spice blend (recipe follows)
4 large bay leaves
1 white onion, finely chopped
10 large garlic cloves, peeled
10 small shallots, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
2 tsp salt
¼ cup diced tomatoes
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
¾ tsp black pepper
13 dried Turkish apricots (8 sliced into thirds and 5 whole)
10 dried Turkish figs (5 sliced into ¼-inch pieces and 5 whole)
2 cups good-quality dry red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups chicken broth10 oz package crimini mushrooms, thickly sliced

For Spice Blend:

2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp fennel seeds
2-inch piece cinnamon stick
3 cloves

Dry roast all ingredients in a skillet until fragrant, then cool, and grind into a fine powder using a spice or coffee grinder.

For the lamb:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Remove all packaging on the shanks, rinse, and pat dry. Leave the twine wrapped around the shanks as it holds the meat together. Cut and discard the twine after cooking.

Heat a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven large enough to hold the shanks and pour enough olive oil to liberally coat the bottom.

Rub 3/4 of the spice blend on all sides of the shanks, reserving the remaining to add with the onions.

Sear 2 shanks at a time, approximately 3 minutes a side. Remove and sear the last 2, adding more olive oil if necessary.

After removing the shanks from the pot, add the bay leaves followed by the chopped onions, whole garlic cloves, and shallots. Sprinkle a teaspoon of salt and stir. Once the onions start to become lightly golden, sprinkle the remaining spice blend and stir again.

After a minute, add in the diced tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Then pour in the apple cider vinegar and honey along with the black pepper and remaining teaspoon of salt.

Place the sliced apricots and figs in the pot with the other ingredients and cook for another 2 minutes.

Pour in the wine and chicken broth and stir to combine. Place the whole apricots and figs in at this time and bring to a boil. Once the braising liquid is boiling, turn off the heat and place the seared lamb shanks back into the pot making sure that the liquid is covering at least ½-3/4 of the sides of the meat. Cover tightly with a lid and place in the center rack of a 325-degree preheated oven.

Slow-braise in the oven for 2 hours then open and place the sliced mushrooms around the shanks, stirring carefully to submerge them in the braising liquid, Cover and cook for at least 1 more hour or until meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the shanks and then place the Dutch oven on top of the stove to boil, stirring so as to not burn the bottom. Continue heating the braising liquid until it thickens to the consistency of a sauce. When ready to serve, pour the thickened sauce over the shanks.

*Pure Bred Lamb (https://purebredlamb.com/) donated the product for this recipe.

Roasted Parsnip Mash with Black Garlic

2 lb parsnips
Neutral oil
1 head black garlic
¾ cup heavy cream, warmed
2 tbsp unsalted room-temperature butter, softened
Fine salt
Maldon salt
Finely chopped chives

Wash the parsnips and cut off the thick ends, then cut into 5-inch pieces.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add in the parsnips. Cook for approximately 20 minutes. Drain and let sit for 5 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

While you are waiting for the oven to come to temperature, peel the skin off the parsnips, cut in half and remove the woody cores with a sharp knife. Then cut into 1 ½-pieces. Toss the parsnips with enough oil to lightly coat and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Roast in the oven for about another 20-25 minutes, turning the parsnips half way through. You want the parsnips to be soft enough to blend in the food processor, so adjust the timing accordingly.

After removing the parsnips, place them in the bowl of a food processor along with all the black garlic and pulse 2-3 times. Then add in the warmed cream and softened butter with a sprinkle of fine salt and blend until the parsnips are pureed and creamy. Add additional cream or half and half as needed to achieve the correct consistency.

Garnish with a sprinkle of Maldon salt and finely chopped chives.

Fennel Corn Salad with Honey Mustard Tarragon Dressing

For the Fennel Corn Salad:
1 small bulb fennel, shaved
1 corn on the cob
5-6 oz of arugula
Pumpkin seeds

For the Honey Mustard Tarragon Dressing:

⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp Spicewalla mustard tarragon spice blend*
1 tsp honey mustard
½ lemon or lime
Honey, to desired sweetness
Salt and black pepper

Trim and thinly slice the fennel bulb using a mandolin.

For the corn, steam or boil the corn first. Then if you have a gas stove, insert a metal skewer into the cob and hold the corn and rotate over the flame to evenly roast. Once cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to remove the kernels.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and adjust to your tastes. If you like a more vinegary dressing, add more apple cider vinegar. If you like it more sweet, add more honey.

To assemble, toss the arugula, fennel, corn, and pumpkin seeds together with the dressing.

*You can purchase the mustard tarragon seasoning from www.spicewallabrand.com. If you need to substitute, stir together a mixture of mustard powder, dried tarragon, black pepper, garlic powder, and a pinch of salt.

Winter Greens with Bacon & Shredded Coconut

This recipe is my take on combining two different Souths: the southern United States with the use of bacon, vinegar, and mustard; and the South of India with the use of mustard seeds and coconut.

1 bunch Swiss chard
1 bunch red chard
4 slices of bacon
Rendered bacon fat
Olive oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
Salt and black pepper

To prepare the chard, wash thoroughly and cut off the stems up to where they meet the leaves. Blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, place in an ice water bath for 2 minutes, and then remove and set aside.

Cook the bacon slices in a skillet until crispy. Remove and finely chop the bacon. Reserve the rendered bacon fat in a heatproof container.

Heat a skillet and add 1-2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Once hot, sprinkle in the mustard seeds and wait for them to start and then slow down popping. At that time, stir in the apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard. Immediately toss in the blanched greens, using tongs to quickly turn and coat them.

Add the grated coconut and finely diced bacon along with a sprinkle of salt and pepper and toss again with the tongs.

Serve while still hot.

Recipes by Veda Sankaran / Photography by Dave Bryce / Styling by Keith Recker / Bread by Crustworthy / Textile by Kendra Russo / Ceramics by Frank DeFabo and Billy Ritter / With Support from Buy Fresh, Buy Local of Western Pennsylvania and PA Preferred