French lamb shank stew with green lentils

Lamb Shanks Stew with Green Lentils Recipe

100 Minutes
Serves: 2

A delicious slow cooked lamb shank stew with a red wine, tomatoes and olive sauce flavoured with garlic and thyme. The lamb is served on a bed of bay flavoured green lentils, carrots, and cherry tomatoes.

Recipe Ingreds

Lentils

  • 1 leaves bay leaf
  • 1 whole carrots
  • 120 grams cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tin tinned green lentils
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole onions
  • 0.25 cube stock cube chicken
  • 150 ml water (boiling)
  • salt (to taste)
  • black pepper (to taste)

stew

  • 40 grams black olives
  • black pepper (to taste)
  • 240 grams cherry tomatoes
  • 3 sprig fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 whole lamb shank
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 whole onions
  • salt (to taste)
  • 0.25 cube stock cube lamb
  • 150 ml water (boiling)
  • 250 ml red wine

Recipe with pictures Steps

Step 1

  • add the stock cube to boiling water
  • wash the cherry tomatoes and then slice in half

Step 2

  • heat half the oil in the frying pan
  • sear the lamb shanks till well browned
  • add to the casserole dish

Step 3

  • peel and crush the garlic
  • peel and chop the onion(s) finely
  • heat the remaining oil in the frying pan and add the onion and garlic
  • fry for 3 to 4 minutes
  • Add the tomatoes to the onions
  • cook for a minute or two

Step 4

  • set the oven to 180C 350F or gas mark 4
  • Add the wine and stock to the tomato and onion mixture
  • simmer for five minutes

Step 5

  • wash and remove the thyme leaves from their stalks
  • add the olives and thyme to the frying pan
  • season with salt and pepper

Step 6

  • add the contents of the frying pan to a casserole dish
  • place in the oven
  • cook for 2 hours till the meat falls off the bone

Step 7

  • 25 minutes before the lamb is ready
  • peel and chop the onion(s) finely
  • heat the olive oil in the frying pan, add the onions and cook till soft

Step 8

  • peel and chop the carrot(s) finely
  • Add the carrots to the onions
  • cook for 3 to 4 mins

Step 9

  • add the stock cube to boiling water
  • wash the cherry tomatoes and then slice in half
  • Add the stock and cherry tomatoes to the onion mixture
  • cook for 3 to 4 mins
  • add the bay leaves

Step 10

  • drain and rinse the lentils
  • Add the lentils to the onion and tomato mixture
  • cook for 10 mins
  • taste and season with salt and pepper if necessary

Step 11

  • remove the stew from the oven
  • Remove the lamb shanks from the casserole dish set a side to rest. Place the remaining contents of the casserole dish in a pan and heat to form a sauce.

Step 12

  • add the lentils to the serving plate
  • place the lamb shank on the serving plate, add the sauce from the pan

Step 13

  • if cooking extra for the freezer store the extra lamb shank stew in a freezable container allow to cool and then place in freezer

Recipe Utensils

  • 1 casserole dish
  • 2 chopping board
  • 1 frying pan
  • 1 Garlic crusher
  • 2 jug
  • 1 large frying pan
  • 2 large knife
  • 1 sieve

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How to make lamb shank stew with lentils

Sear the lamb till golden brown and place in a casserole dish. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and fry till soft. Add the cherry tomatoes then the red wine and stock.  Add the thyme leaves, olives and season with salt and pepper. Place the sauce to the casserole dish with the lamb and bake in the oven for 2 hours. Serve on a bed of lentils cooked with onions, carrot and cherry tomatoes and flavoured with bay leaves

Recipe tips

  • Don't use too cheap a red wine, as this can impact on the overall taste of the dish
  • To ensure you maximise the flavours in this dish make sure your brown the lamb well
  • you cannot over cook lamb shanks if you cook them with sufficient liquid.

Can you freeze?

This lamb and lentil stew is perfect for freezing for those busy weeknights, we always cook double on a weekend and then freeze the remainder which allows you to benefit from a delicious homemade slow cooked meal in minutes. Cook the lamb and lentils then portion into freezer proof dishes and allow to cool before freezing. You can freeze on the bone, but to save room in your freezer you can strip it from the bone and then freeze.

When to cook lamb shanks with lentils

This tender melt in your mouth stew is a delicious autumn or winter dish packed full of flavour. It is an ideal Sunday dinner, or winter dinner party dish.

Who will love this recipe?

This dish is for lamb lovers, it has a delicious flavour, serve it for a family get together, of a dinner with friends, its also great for a romantic meal for two

Perfect for a French dinner party

This recipe makes an excellent main course for a French themed dinner party especially with the bay flavoured lentils, we would serve it with a creamy mushroom soup for starters and a delicious French lemon tart for dessert check out our French dinner party menu

What to do with leftover?

If you have leftover lamb and lentils then we suggest that you strip the lamb from the bone, mix together with the leftover lentils and serve as a tasty filling for a jacket potato

What to eat with slow cooked shanks in red wine?

We serve this dish with lentils to make the perfect evening meal, but if you are looking for other dinner ideas here are some other sides that go well with this recipe

  • bubble and squeak potato cakes
  • simple mash potato
  • root vegetable mash

What makes our lamb shank lentils the best?

The sharpness of the red wine cuts through the richness of the meat and the sweetness of the cherry tomatoes and the saltiness of the olives makes the most delicious gravy. The thyme and garlic finish off the flavour combination perfectly.  What makes this dish the best is without a doubt serving it with bay flavoured lentils.

Why lamb shanks

These are a low-cost alternative to more expensive cut and are perfect for slow cooking. Slow cooking turns this cut of meat into a tender, fall off the bone meat, it also adds a delicious depth of flavour to the gravy 

Other Lamb Stew Recipes

Lamb and Ale Stew

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