Lamb Shanks with Lentils

This was gorgeous, perhaps a little autumn-like, but gorgeous all the same.

Lamb shanks usually win because it's pretty hard to mess them up. I mean, leave them in a pot with some liquid on a low heat in the oven and, chances are, things are going to turn out all right. This recipe is from the Culinary Institute of America's Techniques on Healthy Cooking. I don't know how 'healthy' lamb shanks are, but the rest of it seemed good for you.

Really rich, lamb-y flavors coming out of this one and it benefits well with a good whack of herbs stirred through at the end. Oh, did I mention this is SUPER easy?

4 lamb shanks, trimmed
500 ml beef stock
1 bottle dry white wine
1 1/2 cups lentils
1 BOUQUET GARNI
4 stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, peeled, diced
small handful parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon thyme, chopped
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Dry-sear the shanks in a large skillet. Add the stock, wine, lentils and bouquet garni. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and place in a 325F/165C oven. Braise until the lamb and lentils are tender, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Remove the shanks and keep them warm.

Degrease the braising liquid by skimming the surface. Add the celery and carrots to the sauce and simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce has reduced slightly. Season the sauce with the parsley, thyme, pepper, juice and salt.

Serve 1 shank with 1/2 cup sauce.