Braised Lamb Shanks & Asparagus Risotto

This is my husband's recipe, and I wanted to share this amazing dish! So delicious! My risotto was served on the side, a great addition to the lamb.

Ingredients:
2 lamb shanks, 1 lb. a piece, trimmed of fat
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 Bordeaux red wine
1/2 Quart chicken stock
1/2 Quart beef stock
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
4 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves


Appliances:
Le Creuset Dutch Oven-Large

Directions:
1. Put dutch oven on med-high heat burner. Add in 2 Tbsp. olive oil, let dutch oven come to temperature. Once at desired heat, heat 1 shank at a time, 3-5 minutes on each side, browning to a golen brown, then remove off heat onto heat safe plate.
2. Add remaining 2 Tbsp. to dutch oven, add in chopped onions, salt and pepper, letting them carmelize, 5-7 minutes, till translucent, but a bit browned from lamb remnants.
3. Next add in garlic, allowing garlic to carmelize with onions, 2-3 minutes.
4. Deglaze dutch oven with wine, stir everything with wooden spoon, scraping up lamb bits on the bottom of the pan to incorporate into liquid.
5. Add beef and chicken stocks, tomatoe paste, stirring all to incorporate paste and broth with wine, onion and garlic bath.
6. Add in rosemary, bay leaves, salt and pepper.
7. Bring pot to a boil, add in the lamb, if liquid does not cover the lamb, add more broth/wine/water to bring above lamb shank level, not expsoing the meat.
8. Cover, let simmer on low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
9. Remove cover, cook uncovered for additional 1/2 hour at same temperature to reduce liquid to fall below the shanks. Be sure to taste for proper seasoning level, et voila! You have your braised lamb shanks!

Plate the lamb shanks onto a plate, use broth bath in dutch oven to pour over the lamb as a gravy. If you wish for a thicker gravy, you might need to raise temp of broth to boil, then reduce again, this should help thicken naturally, without adding flour or thickeners, but if desired, I don't see that hurting anything.

Click on the link to see  my risotto recipe.

Bon appetit!

Caramel Apple Pie

Yum!!! This is an easy to follow recipe and will reep great rewards!

Ingredients:

2 Pie Crusts-refridgerated pie crust dough makes it easy, if you make your own, way to go!!

Apple Filling:
6 granny smith apples-peeled, cored and chopped 1/4" thick
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Caramel Sauce:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cream, room temp
1/4 cup butter, room temp

Appliances:
Dutch Oven-for apples
Large scale sauce pan-deep and wide
Pie Dish

Directions:
Apple Filling:
1) Put dutch oven over med-high heat. Once warmed throughout, add in cut apples, stirring for about 1 minute, make sure not to burn, but to warm the apples, you'll begin to smell them-delicous! Add in butter, incorporate all apples with butter, sauteing, lower heat. Continue stirring, apples to become soft. After 3-4 minutes, add in dry ingredients, and if needed a bit more butter-it never hurts! Bring pot back to med-high heat until sauce is near bubbling, then reduce heat to low, cover, stir occasionally, should not be near burning temp.

Carmel:

*Special Note*-Proced with caution, always, when working with any candied topping. Make sure no babies or puppies nearby.

1) Pour sugar into pan, swirling around to evenly distribute. Heat on medium until sugar melts and caramelizes. Sugar will turn a reddish-brown color when ready. Do not stir or disturb. If sugar needs to be redistributed, gently swirl pan.

2) Stir butter and cream, being careful to avoid splashes-I added cream first, with pan off heat, will sizzle. Caramel will be extremely hot! Then add butter, off heat still to avoid major splashing onto yourself and onto stovetop. Continue stirring until butter and cream are fully incorporated.

3) Let simmer on medium heat for one minute. Remove from heat.

Prepare pie crust dough:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Dough should be at room temperature. Add first pie crust to bottom of pie dish, pressing into dish and against sides. Make three long slits into other pie crust, this is your vent for the top. Set aside.

Adding pie filling and caramel sauce to pie crust dough.
1) Take applie filling off of heat, uncover, and stir one last time.

2) Pour/ladle half of apple filling into pie dish. Pour caramel evenly over the apple filling, then add the remaining applie filling mixture.

3) Cover with remaining pie crust, folding top into dish to create a seal with the other crust. I'm not creative with crimping yet, but both crusts should meet, no curst hanging over edge of dish. Push dough against pie dish, then taking a fork, press fork into dough, all along the edge of dish. If this doesn't make sense, look up crimping pie dough on youtube to get demonstration. Once you have done this, you have it down pat!

4) Place pie dish in center of oven rack, bake 30-40 minutes, pie should be golden, filing bubbling. Set on pie rack for 2-3 hours, cover with lose dish towel.

5) Servie it up! If you want it warmed, place back in oven on warm setting.

If you wish to omit caramel, then omit the caramel recipe, everything else should follow suit.

Bon appetit!!