Stirring the Pot
This dish is bursting with the sunny, vibrant flavors of the southern French region of Provence. A long, slow braise in the oven renders the meat ultra-tender and perfumes it with all those aromatic Mediterranean ingredients. You could easily substitute bone-in chicken thighs, drumsticks, or whole chicken legs for the lamb – just adjust the braising time to about an hour or so. Any brine-cured olives will do, but the French olives suggested in the recipe result in the most authentic flavor. Use whole olives with the pits for maximum flavor, just remind folks at the table when serving the dish. A salad, and a crusty loaf of bread to mop up all the fragrant sauce, is all that you need for a fabulous French feast.
Lamb Shanks Provençal
Serves 4
Prep time: about 20 to 25 minutes Cooking time: about 2½ hours, mostly unattended
- 4 large, meaty lamb shanks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 carrots, diced
- 1 large fennel bulb, diced (bulb only)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large strips orange zest
- 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes
- 2 c low-sodium beef or chicken broth
- 2 c dry white wine
- ½ c Niçoise and/or Picholine olives
- 2 Tbsp chopped parsley for garnish
Herb & spice sachet: 1 rosemary sprig, 4 thyme sprigs, 4 sprigs flat leaf parsley, 1 bay leaf, 3” cinnamon stick, and 4 whole cloves, wrapped and tied up in cheesecloth
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Season shanks all over generously with salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the shanks, in batches if necessary, and brown thoroughly on all sides; remove from the pot and set aside.
- Turn the heat down to medium low and add the onion, carrots, fennel, and a good pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables have softened but not browned. Add garlic, mix in, and cook for a few minutes. Add the herb and spice sachet, zest, tomatoes, broth, wine, and olives; turn up heat to high and bring to a simmer. Nestle the shanks back in the pot (they should be about three-quarters covered by the liquid; add a little water if necessary).
- Cover and place in the middle of the oven. Cook for about 2 hours, turning the shanks every 30 minutes or so, until the meat is fork-tender. You can take the top off the pot for the last 20 minutes if you want to get a little additional browning on the meat and reduce the sauce a bit.
- Discard the sachet and zest. Place each shank in a shallow bowl and spoon the sauce and vegetables over. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.