Rich Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

For when you need a bowl of comfort

He’s gone. Our 6’2” 23 year old ‘baby’ has finally embarked on his long anticipated journey to the far north, land of the midnight sun, the north pole, the home of Santa Claus and most importantly the home of his girl and where his heart’s drawn.

There’d been weeks of preparations, denial, excitement, secret sadness, mixed with elation….and that was all just me. He no doubt was bursting with excitement, anticipation and longing. Indeed as I write I’ve just received a message from his girl, a selfie of the two of them beaming up at me from my phone bathed in the glow of young love. It warms my heart, reassures me and brings yet another tear to my eye, one of joy tinged with the tiniest drop of melancholy as we embark on these next 3 years of a son living on top of the planet while we’re all the way down here at the bottom.

In the very early pre-dawn hours of Monday morning the alarm tingled on my wrist. As the day ‘dawned’ on me the butterflies in my stomach awoke and fluttered about, much in the way I’m sure boy two woke. Nervous energy propelled me forward, my Mumma heart quelling the realities of the day. Coffee together before we left, the birds outside starting to stir and warble their farewells as we tick off final checklists and I inwardly have everything crossed for a smooth journey that will span two days with a stop in Japan ultimately climbing the planet to the north across the top of Alaska, Canada and Greenland before turning south to his ultimate destination, much like a roller coaster ride. A metaphor perhaps both for him and us.

For him, like the hills and valleys of a real rollercoaster, thrilling, invigorating and exciting. For us thrilling and exciting to watch but not so fun to ride at our age and stage. We raise our kids to flex and stretch into their aspirations and chase their dreams, reach their goals, challenge themselves. We want them to be scared but take the leap anyway then embrace and celebrate the victories and learn from the stumbles. But there’s no preparing ourselves for the mix of emotions you’ll traverse as you walk alongside them on that journey until the moment they turn around, walk on and wave goodbye launching into their lives and dreams.

The ride to the airport was full of chatter, last minute instructions, tips and advice. Traffic on Melbourne’s busiest road was light as the moon lit the way in the pre-dawn hours. I looked in other car windows wondering what their days promised as I looked towards the hours of my day looming. The walk into the airport was brisk, full of nervous energy for all of us, check in, and all the last-minute things smoothly completed…..and then….the moment….the goodbyes. The vice like hugs, the tears, the waves, the final glimpse…and then gone.

No one warns you. Maybe my mother did in those moments in my 20’s when she told me you never stop mothering to which I would regrettably roll my eyes and wriggle against the perceived constraint of that comment, but as the comment alludes, I wasn’t listening, and can you even really know what that feels like until that wave goodbye?

So Monday was raw, Tuesday was exciting, speaking to him intermittently while he explored a small corner of Japan and grew his travel confidence and Wednesday joyful as pictures rolled in of the happy reunion, the glow of young love bursting from the screen of my phone. And now I’m bursting with pride, at his ambition, courage, spirit and curiosity for the world at his feet. He’s a good man.

But on Monday we needed comfort. I needed to lose myself in the kitchen and make myself something that reminded me of a sense of love, family and home. So as the fire crackled and kept me warm I made dinner. I considered making Boy 2’s favourite, Shepheard’s Pie but needed something ‘more,’ something that would bubble away in the oven and fill the house with delicious comforting aromas. So guided by the flavours of shepheard’s pie I started. And from the oven a few hours later dinner emerged and with each resulting mouthful I felt memories of my own grandmother, mother and my own beautiful adventurous boys, because sometimes a big bowl of comfort food is the best salve.

Ingredients:

4 lamb shanks trimmed of excess fat and sinew but not frenched so as not to lose too much meat and flavour

2 Tb plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper

2 Tb extra vergin olive oil

1 large onion roughly chopped

1 small or ½ large fennel trimmed, cored and chopped in large chunks

1 large carrot peeled and chopped in large slices roughly 2cm thick

1 celery stick chopped in large chunks

1 small swede peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

1/3 c loosely packed chopped parsley

1 Tb chopped rosemary leaves

1 Tb tomato paste

180 ml red wine

1 litre beef stock

Method:

Preheat oven to 180c.

Dust the shanks in the seasoned flour shaking off any excess. In a large heavy oven proof pot like a dutch oven heat 1 Tb of the oil over med-high heat and brown the shanks on all sides, remove an keep warm. Reduce heat to low and add veg gently cooking for five minutes stirring frequently. Add herbs, garlic and tomato paste and cook gently for a few minutes until fragrant and the tomato paste is completely distributed through the veg. Increase heat to high stirring the veg often to prevent browning and pour in the wine stirring thoroughly. Allow to bubble and reduce slightly reducing by a 1/2. Add in stock and stir then place shanks back in the pot snuggling them in amongst the veg. Bring to the boil then place the lid on the pot and move it all to the oven. Cook for 2 ½ hours checking and turning the shanks each hour.

Serve with creamy mash or polenta or even flake the meat off the bones, stir back through the sauce and veg and serve with pasta.

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Cooking:

~This super easy focaccia. A hit at last week’s farewell party and my new favourite simple recipe, thanks for the tip Caz.

~ Emiko Davies classic tiramisu. Another hit from last week’s shindig and the leftovers for the following days.

~And putting this one away for a summer gathering when cherries arrive.

Reading:

~ This book by the above focaccia author, I see a lot of bready things on the horizon.

~ A brilliant aussie debut author story about marriage, divorce and falling in love again. Took a bit to draw me in but was then wonderful.

Watching:

~Four Seasons on Netflix. Bring back the half hour sitcoms, gosh they’re clever. This one about a group of midlife friends, their annual getaway and all the ups and downs of midlife. Funny and gloriously uncomplicated and entertaining.

‘Til next week friends,

S x