Lamb Puttanesca with Caramelised Onions

The end of a golden summer brings with it some consolations. Nourish family or friends with this sumptuous dish served with a glass or two of equally fine wine.

Ingredients:

• Puttanesca
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 150 gm plum tomatoes (blanched, skinned and de-seeded)
• 2 tbsp marinated anchovy fillets
• 2 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tbsp fine capers
• 50 gm marinated black olives
• 4 x 350 gm Lamb Shanks
• 400 ml red wine
• 50 ml sunflower oil
• 1 medium carrot
• 2 medium carrot
• 1 stick celery
• 2 bunches rosemary
• 500 ml lamb stock
• 400 gm celeriac
• 200 gm potatos
• 50 gm unsalted butter
• 50 ml milk
• 250 gm broccoli spears (cut into small florets)
• 200 gm button onions (peeled)
• Seasoning

Cooking

To make Puttansca:

1. Finely chop the garlic and fry till golden brown in a tablespoon olive oil
2. Stir in the finely chopped achovely fillets add the tomato puree and cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, capers and olives for 10 minutes, season. This needs to be quite a dry sauce/mix, so be careful adding the tomatoes as it might make it too moist. If required cook and reduce for a little longer.

The Lamb etc

1. Marinade the seasoned lamb shanks overnight in the chopped celery, carrots and onion and 1 bunch of rosemary and the red wine.
2. Remove the shanks from the marinade, drain and seal in ahot non-stick pan to give an even brown colour. Put in a deep roasting pan.
3. Drain the vegetables from the red wine and retain the wine, sauté the vegetables in a hot pan and add to the shanks. Cover with red wine and lamb stock.
4. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid or tin foil and cook slowly in the oven (140C) for 90 minutes approximately.
5. Peel the celeriac, cut into dice and cook in milk and water for about 25 minutes until soft and it is possible to be mashed. Drain well and slightly dry the mixture by returning it to the pan and keeping warm. Peel and boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes, drain and mash.
6. Mash both the well drained celeriac and potato in the same bowl, check the seasoning. Add the butter without allowing the mixture to become wet.
7. Heat the frying pan, add butter and the peeled button onions and cook until golden brown and soft. Add the brown sugar and caramelize the onions before serving.
8. Cook the broccoli florets and serve with lamb.

Serve in soup plate, placing a spoonful of the celeriac mash to one side of the dish, sit the lamb shank half way on the celeriac. With a dessert spoon add a small quantity of puttanesca mix next to the shank.