Take a customer favourite traditional dish and create a real point of difference with this easy lamb shank pie, paired with a fresh tabbouleh salad and Mainland Special Reserve Creamy Feta. Always check with your local vegetable supplier to keep this dish seasonal and on-trend, and don't miss Brussels sprout season. Pair this dish with a smoky dark beer which will balance nicely with the rich lamb shank and fresh salad. Plating is key in any restaurant, so streamline your service and organise your prep to save yourself that extra 30 seconds at the end. Really show who you are and add that extra touch. Your customers and Instagram will be happier for it.

Lamb Shanks

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 x 400g lamb shanks
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 small fennel bulb, chopped
  • 3 fresh bay leaves, torn
  • 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
  • 5 garlic cloves, 4 chopped, 1 whole
  • 8 fresh thyme sprigs
  • 700ml lamb, chicken or beef stock
  • 150ml white wine
  • 1 lemon (finely grated/zest)
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Puff pastry
  • 1 egg

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide pan with a lid over medium heat.

Season the shanks and brown all over in the pan for 8–10 minutes. Remove to a plate. Add the onion and fennel to the pan and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until turning golden.

Add the bay leaves, rosemary, chopped garlic, half the thyme and return the shanks to the pan.

Pour in the stock and wine and heat until just bubbling. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and bake for 2.5–3 hours, until the meat is achingly tender.

Meanwhile, crush the remaining garlic with a pinch of salt and finely chop the remaining thyme. Put in a bowl with the lemon zest, parsley and extra-virgin olive oil and mix together well.

Season with black pepper only.

Transfer the shanks to a dish and cover loosely with foil. Skim off and discard the fat from the surface of the sauce, then bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes.

Mix 6 tablespoons of sauce into the lemon, garlic and parsley mixture to create your sauce.

Allow the shanks to cool to room temperature or better still overnight in the fridge. Remove your shanks and pat dry.

Take your puff pastry and lay out a sheet big enough to wrap the whole shank, roll the shank in the pastry making sure it is tight. Wrap a collar of pastry around the top where the bone protrudes to stop the pastry pulling back.

Egg wash the pastry and season. When ready, place in the oven at 160°C until golden brown and fully heated through.

Pomegranate Tabbouleh & Feta Salad

  • 2ea pomegranates, seeded
  • 150g curly parsley, finely chopped 3ea cloves garlic, finely chopped 150g  cooked bulgur wheat
  • 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
  • 1 lemon, zested
  • 1 handful mint leaves, roughly chopped (to serve)
  • 100g Mainland Special Reserve Creamy Feta

Method

Add everything except the Feta to a large metal bowl and mix with a fork until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil, set aside.

Just before you serve the dish have your mint leaves ready to rip into the mix for freshness.

When plating crumble the Mainland Creamy Feta over the salad to give a delicious contrast with the fresh salad and the rich pie.

You can take the shanks straight out of the hot stock and into the pastry if you are serving them straight away – just pat them dry. This will make your service that much quicker.

Download the recipie

Mainland Creamy Feta is a creamy Danishstyle feta that has a smooth, firm closed texture. Creamy feta is perfect for slicing and dicing or where a creamy mouth feel is required.

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