I was a little apprehensive cooking lamb shanks tonight as my first attempt with the slow cooker last night didn’t exactly go to plan. The lamb shanks were in the freezer for ages, I had been so looking forward to having them. I left them out to defrost last night, eager for round 2 in the slow cooker. I didn’t leave enough time last night to cook the dinner in the slow cooker and I wasn’t going to make the same mistake today. I had some extra time for myself this morning ’cause daddy left late and got the kids ready and brought them to school before he left. At 10 o’clock this morning I eagerly loaded all the ingredients into my bright shiny new slow cooker and set it to high. Dinner was served 10 hours later at 18:00!!
There is a downside to slow cooking. You are tormented by the beautiful smell of the food cooking all day. In this case, it was the sweet smell of the mulled wine bubbling away that was driving me nuts (yes mulled wine, it’s all I had. It was fancy Mark’s and Spencer mulled wine if that makes a difference?). You’re not supposed to lift the lid during the cooking process but I eventually caved in at 15:00. I tasted a little of the tender tender lamb and a little butternut squash. The gravy needed a little thickening so I mixed 2 tbsp of cornstarch with hot water and poured it over. I put the lid back on and resolved to wait for the husband to get home before I dipped in again.
Slow cooked Lamb Shank in mulled wine
Recipe Type: Dinner
Cuisine: Irish
Author:
Slow cooker Lamb shank cooked in mulled wine
Ingredients
- 2 Lamb Shanks
- 1/2 Butternut Squash diced into small pieces
- A few baby potatoes
- 3 Bay leaves
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 glass mulled wine (I used mulled wine because I had no Red Wine)
- Chicken stock
- 4-5 tbsp flour seasoned with salt and pepper
- Salt/Pepper
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch mix in hot water
- Water
- Peas
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a frying pan.
- Dredge the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour and fry for 4-5 minutes turning regularly until browned all over.
- Put the lamb shanks in the slow cooker.
- Deglaze the pan with the mulled wine and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Pour the wine into the slow cooker.
- Add the rest of the ingredients.
- Cover the meat with chicken stock (I only had chicken stock in the press) or more boiling water.
- Cook on high for 8 hours.
- Add the peas just before serving.
