Home-Cooked Comfort Food: Braised Red Wine Lamb Shanks w/ Mashed Potato - Incredibly easy and delicious!

So while the rest of the world is getting ready for Summer and enjoying long, hot days, it is nearing Winter in Sydney and I'm sitting here in my ugg boots trying to keep warm. I know I'm being a baby but I hate the cold and after having an exceptionally long Summer, it seems that a chill has well and truly passed over Sydney.

How to warm up? With some good old comfort food!

Yup, I'm a foodie so how do I solve any dilemma? With food obviously! The best thing about Winter is that I get to cook all those comfort food favourites without feeling guilty at all. Some of my favourites include Korean Hot Pot, Slow-cooked chilli con carne, risottos, ragu pasta and of course braised lamb shanks.

Cooking this dish is incredibly easy, the oven essentially does all the work for you so you can sit back and watch a movie on the couch waiting for it to cook. You'll know it's ready when your house starts to fill with the aroma of red wine, garlic and rosemary.

Let's get started with the recipe!

Step One

Ingredients required:

• Celery
• Carrots
• Onion
• Tomato paste
• Red wine
• Stock
• Garlic
• Rosemary
• Lamb shanks (duh)

Step Two

Season the lamb shanks w/ salt and pepper and sear on all sides until brown. BROWN = FLAVOUR

Step Three

Remove the lamb shanks and saute the veggies.

Step Four

Add the tomato paste and cook for a minute to cook out the acidity.

Step Five

Add the red wine and stock.

Step Six

Add whole garlic cloves (leave the skin on).

Step Seven

Add the lamb shanks.

Step Eight

Pop into the oven for an hour, covered.

Turn over and put in for another hour, then uncovered for half an hour.

Final result

You'll know it's ready when the meat has pulled back from the bone.

YEP. This is how it turns out! I know, the aroma that hits you is absolutely amazing. Red wine, garlic, rosemary is a fantastic combination and literally all you have to do is prep and let the oven work its magic.

I usually plate it with mashed potato but you can also use polenta. I added some greens for some health and colour. Don't forget to fish out the whole garlic cloves, they'll be incredibly soft and have soaked up the delicious liquid so they'll taste like flavoured butter!!

Here is a GIF as I pulled it from the oven - watch it bubble!! It's mesmerising haha.

Let me know what you guys think and whether you've made lamb shanks before! I'd love for someone to give it a go or share their Winter recipes also. Until next time! :)

@phamished xx