Lamb shanks with egg and lemon sauce

Description

This dish can be made with lamb shanks, knuckle of veal (osso buco) or with cubed meat such as shoulder of lamb. Lamb shanks cooked for a long time have a wonderful tenderness and texture without being too stringy, and they produce a rich stock.

Ingredients

6 small lamb shanks
3 cloves garlic, peeled
salt and freshly ground black pepper
400g/14oz baby onions or shallots, peeled
3 large carrots, sliced
1 celeriac, peeled and cubed
3 medium new potatoes, quartered
2 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
2 tbsp chopped dill
2 free-range egg yolks
1 lemon, juice only
1 tsp caster sugar

Method

1. Put the lamb shanks into a large pan and cover with water. Bring them to the boil, remove any scum, and add the garlic cloves, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, with the lid on, over a very low heat for 2-2½ hours, adding more water if necessary to keep the meat covered, until the meat is so tender it can be pulled off the bone.
2. Lift out the shanks and when cold enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and set aside in a little stock.
3. Ladle off as much fat as you can from the remaining stock, then add the vegetables and cook for 20 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender. Return the meat to the pan and stir in the parsley and dill.
4. Just before serving, beat the egg yolks with the lemon juice and sugar in a bowl. Pour in a ladle of boiling stock from the stew, beating vigorously. Return this mixture to the stew, stirring constantly, and heat through for a moment or two, without letting the liquid boil again or the eggs will curdle. Serve.