I have learned that in cooking there is no need for exact measurements and recipes because this is unlike baking, which is a science. Yes, I have turned into my mother. And all Malay or Asian mothers. My daughter is so going to hate me when she wants to learn how to cook.
Lamb shanks. I had three beautiful pieces. Pasatta. I had a big jar of about 700 g glass pasatta from my favourite pasatta brand a Cirio. Nando’s hot marinade. I had a bottle of this too. And very important for depth of flavour – caramelised onions bought from a cheese gift shop.
The steps:
1. Use a very heavy bottom Dutch oven.
2. Add oil and a sprig of rosemary. Brown lamb shanks.
3. Remove browned lamb shanks and set aside. Add garlic and the 700g jar of pasatta.
4. Add 3/4 bottle of the Nando’s hot marinade.
5. Add a cup of water, salt and black pepper with three sprigs of rosemary.
6. Place all three lamb shanks into the liquid and cover the pot to simmer and cook lamb shanks till fork tender and meltingly good. It took 2.5 -3 hours of slow simmering for today. Add cut potatoes at the 2 hour mark.
7. Add a small bottle of caramelised onions for depth of flavour because without this step, the sauce is just too insipid and sourish.
8. Simmer and taste. Adjust seasoning. I added one teaspoon of sugar and one more teaspoon of salt and ground more black pepper.
9. Serve.
10. Optional. I added boiled colourful carrots to serve.
Disclaimer: 3 lamb shanks is not enough when you have guests. Buy a bigger Dutch oven to fit 6 lamb shanks. 😁
The Occasional Cook 