Description
Tender lamb shanks braised in a rich red wine sauce, served over a creamy roasted garlic pumpkin purée and topped with crispy sage breadcrumbs for a cozy, elegant fall dish.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust:
- 4 lamb shanks (about 1 lb each)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cups dry red wine (like Cabernet Sauvignon)
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 small sugar pumpkin (about 2 lbs), peeled and cubed
- 1 head garlic, top trimmed
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and sear shanks until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- In the same pot, add onion, carrots, and celery; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and tomato paste, cook for 1 minute. Pour in red wine, scraping up browned bits, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add beef broth, rosemary, and bay leaves.
- Return lamb shanks to the pot, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 2.5–3 hours until meat is fall-apart tender. Meanwhile, toss pumpkin cubes and whole garlic head with oil, roast on a baking sheet at 400°F (200°C) for 30 minutes until soft.
- Squeeze roasted garlic from cloves into a blender with roasted pumpkin and heavy cream; blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. For the crumbs, toast panko and sage in a skillet with oil until crispy, about 5 minutes.
- Remove lamb from pot, skim fat from sauce, and simmer on stove until slightly thickened. Serve lamb over pumpkin purée, topped with sauce and sage crumbs.
Notes
You can customize the seasonings to taste.