Opinion
OPINION: Succulent lamb shank and kidney stew
Lamb is soft, succulent and if done correctly, melts in your mouth. Combine that with the firm and smooth texture of well-cooked kidney and voilà! You have a winner.
Ingredients:
- two lamb shanks, cut into pieces
- red wine
- 12 lamb kidneys
- 75 ml wine vinegar
- one small onion
- garlic (at least three cloves)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 250 ml lamb or beef stock
- 1 laurel leaf
- 1 twig rosemary
- juice of 1 lemon
- 5 ml tomato paste
Method:
- Brown the lamb shanks and let them simmer in enough red wine to half cover them. Turn them every so often.
- In the meantime cover the kidneys with vinegar and enough water to cover them.
- Bring to the boil, take from the heat and let rest for five minutes.
- Dunk in cold water, remove the membrane and add to the shanks after they have been simmering for one hour.
- Grate or mince the onion and garlic and add to the meat.
- Add salt and pepper to your taste.
- Add the laurel leaf to the stock together with the remaining ingredients.
- Bring to the boil and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
- Pour the liquid over the meat using a sieve.
- Simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid for the last ten minutes to concentrate the sauce.
Together with rice and plain boiled vegetables it is a meal fit for a (hungry!) king.
Leunis van Rooyen is a gourmand on the loose and is based in Brixton.
