Fancy trying something new for Christmas Lunch?

Here are a few options that are easy to prepare and will make you look like a Rock Star in the kitchen.

Braised Lamb Shanks

INGREDIENTS

The star of this dish is of course the lamb shanks but without all the aromatics and that delicious sauce, they would be quite boring. To build a rich sauce, start by lightly frying an onion chopped finely along with carrots and celery, don't forget a good pinch of salt. Not just for taste, it also helps to reduce the vegetables quicker. Garlic, rosemary and bay leaf add fragrance and aroma. Other herbs like fresh thyme or oregano would work well with the lamb too. The sauce consists of tomato paste, red wine and stock or broth.
• Lamb shanks.
• Onions.
• Carrots.
• Celery.
• Garlic.
• Rosemary.
• Bay leaf.
• Tomato paste.
• Red wine. Any dry red wine like Pino or  a Cab Sav will work well.
• Stock. Lamb/beef broth.
• Salt and black pepper.

What to do

1. Sear the lamb: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels then drizzle with a little olive oil and season generously with salt. Add to the pot and sear until well-browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Start the sauce: In the same pot, sauté the onions, carrot, celery, garlic and herbs until soft and fragrant. Cook the vegetables until they are starting to brown and develop as much flavour as possible. Pour in the liquid (the wine and stock 1 cup of each), stir well and bring to a boil. Add the lamb back to the sauce, then cover with a lid.
3. Braise: Place in a preheated oven at 140 degrees. Allow to braise for 2-3 hours until the shanks are tender and the gravy has reduced. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice or polenta.

Will this work in a slow cooker?

Yes, you definitely can. I would still brown them in a pan/skillet before adding to the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, depending on the size of the lamb shanks. Similarly, you can cook this recipe in an Instant pot or pressure cooker. Cook on high pressure after searing for 45 minutes to an hour until the lamb is soft and fork tender.

How about the Christmas Ham?

Pineapple Glazed Ham

The star of this dish is the Glaze, it tastes amazing and really enhances the flavour of your ham.

45 mins Prep time
1 Hour 45 mins Cooking Time
Serves 10
A simple but delicious ham recipe that everyone will love.

INGREDIENTS

6 kg ham
1 packet whole cloves
1/4 cup pineapple jam
1/3 cup brown sugar
440 g Golden Circle (sliced) canned pineapple
1 Litre Tetra Pack of Golden Circle Sweetened Pineapple Juice

What to do

Select the Fan Forced Function on your oven and Preheat to 180C.
Place ham on the rack in your baking dish, cook for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and place on the bench to cool.
Take the Ham from the Baking Dish and place it on a cutting board.
Gently lift the rind, with your thumb, around edge and remove.
Using sharp knife or Razor Blade score the fat into 2 cm squares.
Place a clove in each square.
The Ham is now ready to go back on the rack in your Baking Dish for the Glaze.

Glaze

Combine 1/4 of a cup of Pineapple Jam with a 1/3 of a cup of Brown Sugar and the sweetened pineapple juice.
Brush liberally over the Ham.
Cover the shank with foil then bake for another 40 minutes (180 degrees Fan Forced)
Remove from the oven and baste again with the remaining Glaze mix.
Add the Pineapple Slices to the pan return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes.

Enjoy!
Merry Christmas from the team at Newtons.

 

 

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