New Season Lamb With Tomato And Shank Marmalade

by Chef Jonathan Gushue

The lamb shank is braised and the leg is roasted for this intriguing dish. Chef Gushue finishes it with an aioli drizzled on the meat. You can use the shank from the roast or buy another one. Chef Gushue uses lamb from Charles Farm.

Sauce:
1 lamb shank
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon sliced garlic
3 cups sliced onion
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

Marmalade:
1/3 cup olive oil
4 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
4 cups tomato, cored, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 sprigs thyme
1 star anise
Salt and pepper

Lamb:
1 x 1.5 kilograms lamb leg with shank removed

Garnish:
24 black olives

Season shank with salt and pepper. Add oil to a pot on high heat. Brown shank, remove from pot and discard most of the oil. Lower the heat to medium. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until cooked through and caramelized, about 20 minutes. Add tomato and cook to a paste, about 8 to 10 minutes longer. Add wine and cook stirring until evaporated, about 12 minutes.

Return shank to the pot and add water to reach 2/3 the height of the lamb. Partly cover and cook on low heat until very soft, about 2 hours. Let the shank cool in the liquid.

Pick the meat from the bone and set aside, discarding the bone. Strain the liquid and put the liquid back on the stove on medium heat. Reduce until thickened. Take off the heat and whisk in butter and olive oil. Set sauce aside until needed.

Place olive oil, garlic and shallots in a preheated pan and cook until soft with no colour, 3 to 5 minutes. Add tomato, thyme and star anise. Season and cook until dry on very low heat for 45 minutes to an hour. Remove thyme and star anise. Add lamb shank meat and olives. Reheat gently when needed.

Preheat oven to 450 F.

Trim the lamb leg roast of any excess fat. Rub all over with salt and olive oil and tie at 1-inch intervals. Place in oven for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to 300 F and cook for a further 40 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Remove from oven and tent with tinfoil. Allow 20 minutes to rest.

Place shank marmalade in the centre of a large dinner plate. Carve some meat and place on top. Surround with the sauce and top the lamb with aioli. Finish the plate with some freshly ground black pepper.

Wine pairing by Beppi Crosariol:

The wine possibilities are vast with this ingenious, one-plate lamb festival. Cabernet sauvignon, merlot or red Bordeaux (almost always made with a mix of cabernet and merlot) would be classic. The Mediterranean flavours of olive and tomato open up the field to additional possibilities, like a savoury, syrah-based Côtes-du-Rhône from France, a tempranillo-based Rioja from Spain or a Nero d’Avola from Sicily. International choices: Chapoutier Côtes-du-Rhône Belleruche from France ($15); Rosemount Diamond Label Merlot from Australia ($16). Canadian choice: Inniskillin Okanagan Meritage Dark Horse Estate Vineyard from B.C. ($25).