Lamb Shanks in Red Wine

Despite this taking quite a long time to marinade (24 hours) and cook, it was worth it. Absolutely delicious, melt off the bone, lamb shanks with a deliciously rich sauce.
Since there were a lot of vegetables in the sauce, I decided to keep it simple by only serving the shanks with mashed potatoes and green beans. The remainder was the base for a great Mamma Capon 'stoup' (half stew, half soup!)

This is #1 of the 5 recipes DK publishers have allowed me to quote from the cookbook (next time I'm photographing it!):

Ingredients:
- 6 lamb shanks, approx. 1.8 kg in total, excess fat and sinew removed.
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 30g plain flour
- 750 ml beef stock, plus more if needed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30g butter
-  1 celeriac, approx. 500g, trimmed and peeled, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 250g mushrooms quartered
- 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- bunch of watercress, to garnish (optional)

For the marinade:
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 2 tsp juniper berries
- 4 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 onions, quartered
- 2 carrots, roughly sliced
- 1 bouquet garni, made with 5-6 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, 2-3 sprigs of thyme and 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 750 ml dry red wine

1. For the marinade, coarsely crush the peppercorns and juniper berries, then tip them into a saucepan. Add the remaining marinade ingredients, bring to boil, and simmer for 2 minutes. Pour into a large dish and cool. Add the shanks, cover, and leave in the refrigerator for 1-2 days, turning occasionally. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/ Gas 4). Remove the lamb shanks and pat dry with kitchen paper. Strain the marinade; reserve the vegetables and liquid separately. 
3. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the shanks all over. Remove. Add the marinade vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until they start to brown. Sprinkle with the flour and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in the marinade liquid, scraping the bottom of the pot well.
4. Return the lamb with any juices and add the bouquet garni from the marinade, the stock, and some salt and pepper. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook the shanks, turning them occasionally, for 2-2 1/4 hours or until tender.
5. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the celeriac, and season. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Transfer to a bowl. Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated and they are tender. Add to the celeriac.
6. Transfer the lamb shanks to a plate and keep warm. Reserve some of the shallots and carrots, then press the sauce through a sieve into a large pan. Whisk in the redcurrant jelly with plenty of pepper. Bring back to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until reduced by half. 
7. Add the mushrooms, celeriac and reserved carrots and shallots. Check the seasoning. Return the lamb shanks to the sauce and reheat for 5-10 minutes. Serve hot.

Ratings:
Taste: 10
Appearance: 7
Difficulty: 8