Braised Lamb Shank over Mashed Potatoes

Pair with Lytton Estate Syrah/Grenache

Serves 6

Ingredients
6 each lamb shanks
salt & pepper
1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup blended oil
1 onion, peeled & roughly chopped
2 carrots, peeled & roughly chopped
1 fennel bulb, roughly chopped
6 whole garlic cloves
3 tablespoons chopped thyme
3 tablespoons chopped rosemary
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 1/2 cups red wine
4 cups chicken stock
Preheat oven to 325 F

Preparation
Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb shanks in flour. In a large roasting pan, heat oil over medium heat and sear lamb shanks on all sides until golden. Remove lamb to a bowl. Add onions, carrots, fennel and garlic to the pot and cook over medium heat until vegetables start to turn color and caramelize. Add thyme, rosemary, parsley and tomato paste. Cook to soften paste. Deglaze with red wine. Add chicken stock. Return lamb to roasting pan. Bring to a simmer and cover with a lid. Braise in the oven for at least 2 hours or until meat is tender and easily pulls off the bone. Every half hour, turn the lamb and skim off excess fat. Serve on a large serving platter.
Potatoes
Yields: 3 cups 4 potatoes, russet, peeled and cubed 2/3 cup cream 4 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with water and cook until soft. Remove from water and run potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer. Place remaining ingredients in a saute pot and heat until butter has melted into cream mixture. Place potatoes in a large bowl and using a whisk slowly work in cream mixture. Once all the liquid has been added whisk potatoes until they obtain a nice light and fluffy texture. Adjust seasoning as needed. Sondra Bernstein, proprietor of the award winning restaurants Girl & the Fig and Estate in Sonoma, knows a thing or two about pairing dishes with Syrah and Grenache as her wine list at Girl & the Fig is made up entirely of varietals native to the Rhone Valley in France (which includes Syrah, Grenache, Carignane, etc). Sondra offers the following pairing to accompany our Syrah Grenache.