I came up with this soup after running lamb shank as a special. I was left with a couple of shanks, not nearly enough to run as a special, so I decided to make this soup and garnish it like I did the dish that I ran. Sherried onions and gremolata finish this off to give it a bright flavor and cut through the richness that you find with many lamb dishes.
This is another dish that I broke up into multiple days to make it easier. I marinated the shank for a solid 24 hours, then roasted it to caramelize the outsides. Once I got color and texture on the shank I braised it for about 4 hours until tender then let it rest until the next day. On the third day I shredded it and actually started cooking the soup, using the broth from the shank braise. You can braise and make the soup in 1 day, I just found it easier with my schedule to stretch it out a bit.
And lastly, when I made this soup I used a blend of split peas, farro, lentils, and barley as the base. I did this to get a different texture to the final soup, but you can just use barley if you would like.
Enjoy.
Ingredients
Marinade
Lamb Shank 2 ea
Harissa 1 T
Roasted Garlic 1 T
Avenue Spice 1 T
Dijon Mustard 1 T
Sherry Vinegar 1 tsp
Method of Procedure
Mix all ingredients and rub your lamb shanks. Let rest for 24 hours.
Lamb Braise
Marinated Lamb Shank 2 ea
Carrot, sliced 2 ea
Garlic, sliced 4 cloves
Onion, chopped 2 ea
Harissa 1 T
Tomato Paste 1 T
Chicken Stock 3 qts
Bay Leaves 2 ea
Mint, whole 2 sprigs
Thyme, whole 1 sprig
Oregano, whole 1 sprig
Cinnamon Stick 1/2 ea
Crushed Red Pepper 2 tsp
Avenue Spice 1 T
Method of Procedure
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Place your lamb shank on a foil lined sheet pan and roast in the oven, turning every 30 minutes until color and caramelization occurs.
In your soup pan saute your onion, garlic, tomato paste, and carrots until softened and add your liquid, spices, and herbs then bring to a simmer.
Once your lamb shank is roasted place into the braising liquid and simmer for four hours until done.
Strain the shanks out, reserving the stock for the next step.
Soup
Garlic, sliced 4 cloves
Tomatoes, diced 2 ea
Carrots, sliced 2 ea
Onions, Julienned 1 ea
Mint, finely chopped 1/2 T
Thyme, finely chopped 1/2 T
Oregano, finely chopped 1/2 T
Avenue Spice 2 T
Chicken Stock 2-3 qt*
Braising Liquid 2-3 qt*
Sherry Vinegar to taste
Farro 1/2 cup
Split Peas 1/2 cup
Lentils 1/2 cup
Barley 1 cup
Celery, diced 3 stalks
Teardrop peppers 1/2 cup**
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Red Onions, fine julienne 1 ea
Sherry Vinegar 1 T
Gremolata 1 T
*You are looking for about 5 qts total of liquid. Depending on how much braising liquid you have left over you might need to bulk out your stock.
**Teardrop peppers are lightly pickled sweet peppers. If you can't find them you can substitute peppadews or even roasted red peppers (though they won't have as much flavor).
Garnish
Sherried Onions, and gremolata
Method of Procedure
Sautee your onions and garlic in your soup pot for around 15 minutes until soft.
Take your lamb shank and remove the meat. Chop the meat into small pieces. Add the chopped lamb and avenue spice then continue to cook while stirring.
Add your diced tomatoes, chicken stock, and braising liquid. Bring to a simmer.
Add your carrots, chopped herbs and grains then simmer for 1 hour until all the grains are tender.
Finish the soup with your finely diced celery and teardrop peppers.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and vinegar and serve. Garnish with sherried onions and gremolata.
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