Economical ways to serve lamb and hogget

Press, 13 September 1982, Page 16

Economical ways to serve lamb and hogget

Celia Timms

COOKING with

I have always been very partial to lamb or hogget shanks, and regretted their use only for making broth or soup, the meat is particularly rich — hence their value for stock — but succulent and well-flavoured when cooked for a main dish. There are a variety of ways in which this can be done. Because of my enthusiasm I have recently experimented with more varieties which I happily pass on believing the result to be good. Two recipes for pork are also suggested, which I find enjoyable. One is in the Chinese style with cauliflower. and the other incorporates that favourite accompaniment for pork, apple, with which the meat is cooked. Baked shanks zoith honey and almonds If this combination sounds a little unusual, don’t be put off because the result is good. The almonds could be considered an optional extra, but I believe they improve the finished product which ends up as quite a "stylish" dish. For four servings: 4 large hogget shanks 2 cups burgundy ‘i cup honey ’■4 cup slivered almonds h teaspoon powdered saffron 1 teaspoon cinnamon *2 teaspoon ground ginger l 2 teaspoon salt freshly ground pepper 3 tablespoons flour Method: Mix spices, seasoning and flour and rub well into the meat on all sides. Place in casserole or roasting pan and cook uncovered in hot oven 220 to 230 C for 15 minutes. Turn shanks over and cook for a further 15 minutes. Remove from oven and add wine and honey to dish and place over heat. Bring to the boil, stirring. The meat can be removed

temporarily, to make this operation easier. Cover the pan. reduce heat to 150 C and return meat to oven for P’s to 2 hours or until very Vender and easily comes away from the. bone. Arrange almonds in shallow ovenproof dish in single layer and toast in the same oven until coloured light brown; remove and reserve. When cooked remove shanks to serving dish. Put roasting pan over high heat and reduce the pan juices to a consistency of thin syrup. Taste for seasoning and pour over meat; scatter almonds over top. and serve. Casserole of shanks In this dish the shanks.are cooked with vegetables and flavoured with red currant jelly and port wine. They need at least two hours cooking time. For six servings you need: 6 lamb shanks 3 tablespoons butter or margarine 2 large onions 4 tomatoes 1 -2 ribs celery I’2 tablespoons flour 2 beef stock cubes dissolved in 11.2I 1 .2 cups hot water 2 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons red currant jelly 1 tablespoon chopped parsley ,? 3 cup port wine Salt and pepper Method: Melt a tablespoon butter in frypan and add the onions cut into quarters; brown lightly over medium heat then add shanks and

sear on all sides with the onions. Peel and chop tomatoes and dice celery and arrange in a greased casserole. Add meat and onions and season to tast’e with salt and pepper. Melt remaining butter in the same frypan and when browned a little, stir in flour then the stock, stirring continually until thickened. Add lemon juice and pour over meat. Cover casserole and cook in a 180 C oven for two. hours or until the meat is very lender. Ten minutes before’ serving add the red currant jelly, parsley and port wine. Stir well and serve. Chinese style pork and cauliflower Pork shoulder meat is best for this or pork pieces can be used providing they are as lean as possible and can be sliced into strips. Serve the dish with freshly boiled rice. For four servings you need: 1 small cauliflower 45(1g fresh pork shoulder meat 2 dessertspoons soy sauce I tablespoon sherry 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Pinch of salt 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root G cup chopped walnuts 3 i cup diagonally sliced spring onions 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in l cups water 2 dessertspoons cornflour 1 tablespoon chopped green or red pepper or pimiento Method: Break the cauliflower into flowerettes, removing excessive thick stem and cook in boiling lightlysalted water for five minutes; drain thoroughly. Slice the pork into thin strips. Combine soy sauce, sherry and salt and pour over the sliced meat. Heat the oil in pan and fry the ginger and walnuts over medium heat for about five minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and reserve.

Add meat and liquid to the pan and stir fry until the meat is cooked. Add onion, cauliflower and stock and bring to boil. Blend cornflour with a little cold waler and stir in. continue to stir until thickened. Add walnuts and pepper or pimiento and serve with freshly boiled rice. Pork with apple and mustard sauce Cooked on top of a layer of apple, these pork chops are well flavoured and verytender. Combined with the rich mustard sauce it is a flavoursome dish. For four servings you need: Ikg cooking apples 4 loin pork chops, about x 4 in thick 1 tablespoon butter ‘■4 cup dry white wine 1 cup evaporated milk ‘n cup Dijon-style mustard, or to taste Salt and pepper Method: Peel, core and thinly slice apples and spread in a lightly buttered baking dish large enough to hold the four chops in a single layer. Bake at 200 C for 15 minutes. Sprinkle chops with a little salt and pepper and brown well in hot butter or margarine on both sides then arrange on top of the apples which have been partly cooked. Pour wine into pan in which chops were browned, scraping pan well to loosen any pieces left from meat, and let boil until reduced in quantity by about half. Pour over chops. Return to oven for 30 minutes. Combine evaporated milk with mustard and season lightly with salt and pepper. Remove dish from oven and pour the mustard mixture over shops and apples, shaking dish to ensure that it penetrates to the bed of apples. Bake a further 15 to 20 minutes or until meat is tender. Should it be browning or drying out, cover with foil.