BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH MERLOT & PRUNES

BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH MERLOT & PRUNES image

Categories Lamb

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 16

6 lamb shanks, 3/4-1 lb. each, patted dry
all purpose flour for dusting
salt & fresh ground pepper
1/4 c. olive oil
2 carrots, peeled & finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
3 TBS finely chopped fresh basil
2 TBS finely chopped fresh thyme
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 c. chicken stock
2 c. Merlot wine or other full bodied red wine
1 container (9 oz) moist-packaged prunes, but into bit sized pieces
3 TBS tomato paste
1 c. canned crushed tomatoes
2 TBS finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325. Place flour, salt and pepper in large bowl. Dredge lightly, shake off excess. In large dutch oven, heat 2 TBS of the oil over med hi heat. Add lamb in 2 batches and brown on all sides for about 8 min for each batch. Using tongs, transfer to large roasting pan. Reduce heat to med and add remaininag 2 TBS olive oil to Dutch oven. Add carrots onion celery, basil and thyme and saute, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 min or until tender. Add garlic and cook another min. Stir in stock, wine, prunes, crushed tomatoes and paste. Bring to simmer. Pour the sauce over lamb in roasting pan and cover tightly with alum foil. Place in oven and cook lamb until meat very tender and beginning to fall off bones, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to a platter and tent it with foil to keep warm. Pour the pan juices into a saucepan and bring to a simmer over med high heat. Simmer 20 min or unitl thickened and reduced by half. Taste for seasoning. Pour reduced pan juices over the lamb. Garnish with parsley and serve right away. Can be made up to 2 days ahead, covered and ref. Reheat gently