Roman lamb (abbacchio alla Romana)

Make sure you ask the butcher for the leftover bone from the end of the shank. You can use it to make stock. The addition of the red wine vinegar mixture at the end brightens and flavours this very simple dish. Be careful with the addition of salt, as the anchovies will contribute to the saltiness.

• serves

  4

Ingredients

1 kg lamb shanks, cut into chunks the size of a small apple

50ml olive oil

Knob of butter

1 lamb’s kidney, cubed

About 250ml dry white or red wine

2 x 5cm sprigs fresh rosemary

4 cloves garlic, peeled

5 small anchovies in oil, well drained

4-5 tbsp red wine vinegar

Instructions

Wipe the meat to remove any bone fragments left by your butcher.

Heat the oil and butter in a deep, heavy based frypan over low-medium heat. Add the shanks and brown on all sides. Add the kidney and cook, stirring, until brown. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour or until tender, occasionally basting with the wine during cooking. If using a slow cooker, turn the dial to automatic and leave to cook for 8 hours. If you are baking the shanks, cover and cook at 160°C for 1 ½ hours.  

Remove the leaves from the rosemary sprigs and chop. Pound with the rosemary, garlic and anchovies. Add the red wine vinegar.

Ten minutes before end of cooking, add the vinegar mixture and allow the alcohol in the vinegar to burn off. Serve.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.