I wanted to make something a little different for St. Patrick’s Day.

The wealth of Irish pubs in Evanston has sort of ruined me for corned beef and cabbage, at least for a little while. Unfortunately, even on St. Patrick’s Day what is old for me cannot be made new again.

Plus, Whole Foods foiled my attempt to make Irish lamb stew by not having any good stew meat. Bison stew, anyone? Actually, that sounds delicious. Maybe for another day. Instead of stew meat, I picked up a couple lamb shanks and cooked them up with traditional lamb stew ingredients. And mushrooms, celery root, parsnips, and brussel sprouts.  

Ok, so I went a little crazy in the produce department. I served the lamb shanks over a celery root and potato mash that is equal parts fresh and stick-to-your ribs satisfying. This recipe makes lots of leftovers, but consider doubling it if you want to feed more than two.

– Angela M.

Braised Lamb Shank with Celery Root and Potato Mash

Ingredients:
Lamb Shank:
– 2 8 oz. bone-in lamb shanks
– 1 lb carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices
– 1 lb parsnips, peeled and quartered
– 1 large white onion, cut into eighths
– 4 oz. button mushrooms, halved
– 4 cups red wine
– 4 cups beef broth
– 3 strips bacon
– 1 tbsp rosemary
– 2 tbsp thyme
– 1 lb. brussel sprouts, halved
– 3 tbsp lemon juice
– Garlic powder
– Salt and pepper

Celery Root Puree:
– 1 lb. potatoes, peeled and quartered
– 1 lb. celery root, peeled and quartered
– 1 cup heavy cream
– 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
– Salt and pepper

Directions:
Season lamb shanks with rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper and let soak in red wine for 2-3 hours, reserving the wine for later. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In an oven-safe dutch oven, cook bacon until crispy and set aside, leaving drippings. Add olive oil to bacon drippings and cook lamb shanks on all sides until browned, about 15 minutes, and remove from the pan. Add carrots, parsnips, and onions, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes. Return lamb shanks to the dutch oven, add 2 cups red wine and 2 cups of beef broth and place in oven, uncovered.

After one hour, remove the dish from the oven. Turn over lamb shanks, add remaining beef stock and red wine, and add the button mushrooms. Return to oven and cook for another 1-2 hours until the lamb is tender. Before serving, steam brussel sprouts and stir into the vegetable stew that has formed.

To make the celery root and potato mash, boil the potatoes with the celery root until both yield to a fork, about 30-40 minutes. It is a good idea to start with the celery root, then add the potatoes, as it tends to take longer. In a large bowl, mash the celery root and potatoes with 1 cup heavy cream and 1 cup chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. This will not be as starchy or thick as mashed potatoes.

Serve lamb shank and vegetables over the celery root and potato mash. Garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!