Braised Lamb Shanks With Winter Squash And Red Chard

Total Time: 3 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 45 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 4 3/4 lbs lamb shanks
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onions
• 1 cup chopped carrot
• 1 cup chopped parsnip
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 2 whole garlic heads, unpeeled, horizontally cut in half
• 1 cup dry red wine
• 5 cups chicken stock or 5 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 large orange, peel and pith removed, quartered
• 2 whole cinnamon sticks
• 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
• 1 3/4 lbs butternut squash, quartered lenthwise, seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 medium fresh fennel bulb
• 2 teaspoons grated orange rind
• 2 bunches red swiss chard
• 2 tablespoons butter

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 375f degrees.
• 2 sprinkle lamb on all sides with salt and pepper.
• 3 heat oil in heavy large pot over high heat.
• 4 add lamb, cook until brown turning occasionally; about 10 minutes.
• 5 transfer to plate.
• 6 add 1 tbls butter to dripping in pot.
• 7 add onions, carrots, parsnips, thyme and garlic.
• 8 sauté until vegetables soften and begin to brown.
• 9 add wine, boil until reduced almost to a glaze; about 4 minutes.
• 10 return lamb to pot, arrange in single layer.
• 11 add stock, orange, cinnamon and 1 tsp fennel seeds, bring to a boil.
• 12 place pot in the oven.
• 13 braise lamb uncovered until tender, turning and basting often; about 2 hours and 15 minutes.
• 14 meanwhile, rub cut sides of squash with 1 tbls butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• 15 arrange squash, skin side down on a baking sheet.
• 16 roast on sheet alongside lamb until tender; about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• 17 scrape squash from skins into a bowl.
• 18 add nutmeg and 2 tbls of butter.
• 19 mash with a fork until almost smooth, season with salt and pepper.
• 20 transfer lamb to a plate, strain braising liquid into a bowl; spoon off the fat if desired. return liquid to pot.
• 21 add fresh fennel, orange peel and 1 tsp fennel seeds.
• 22 simmer until fennel is tender and sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon.
• 23 rewarm lamb shanks, covered, over medium heat; about 15 minutes.
• 24 rewarm squash in a saucepan over low heat, stirring often; about 10 minutes.
• 25 while the lamb and squash heat, cut out the center stem from the chard leaves, discard.
• 26 coarsely tear the leaves.
• 27 melt butter in a heavy skillet over high heat.
• 28 add chard and toss until it wilts; about 4 minutes.
• 29 season with salt and pepper.
• 30 divide chard and squash among 4 plates.
• 31 arrange the lamb atop the vegetables, spoon sauce with fennel over the top.