Lightly seasoned lamb shanks are roasted until the meat falls off the bone and served with baby potatoes and favas beans in a minty creme fraiche sauce.  Pure comfort food.

We were talking about these outrageous Merquez Lamb Shanks during lunch the other day as we wandered into one of my favorite magazine stores downtown and there on the counter was the UK Food and Travel magazine with it’s glossy cover tempting our taste-buds.  Mouths watering all over the floor we picked up the magazine and started flipping through it and the first dish that caught our eyes was this Lamb Shank dish with favas.  You know how we love favas ….. so, we knew we would be dining on this very soon!

This is a very easy dish to make.  Roasted lamb shanks are seasoned with onions, fava beans, fresh herbs and finished with a minty creme fraiche sauce.  It is definitely more of a spring time dish;  but, will work all season, as long as you can find fresh favas!

Recipe:  Lamb Shanks with Fava Beans

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 lamb shanks, meaty ones

2 red onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 sprig of parsley and thyme

1 bay leaf

400 ml white wine, used a French White Bordeaux

400g new potatoes

400g shelled fava beans, skinned

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

3 tablespoons creme fraiche

Preheat over to 350.  Lightly oil a roasting pan, add the lamb shanks and season with salt and pepper, then place in the oven to roast for 20 minutes.  Add the onions, garlic and herbs and roast for another 20 minutes.  Add the white wine and new potatoes, mix well with the juices and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Plunge the fava beans into a pan of boiling water for 4 minutes, then drain and peel off the skins.  Add the prepared beans to the lamb and return to the oven for 10 minutes.

When the lamb is cooked, remove from the roasting pan and keep warm.  Place the pan directly on the stove top and bring the juices to a simmer.  Stir in the mint and the creme fraiche.  Serve.  Eat.