Braised Lamb and Parmesan Polenta Tartlet

Ingredients

6 Brussel sprouts, leaves separated
60g peeled garlic
6 shiitake mushrooms
1 punnet enoki mushrooms
70g shaved Parmesan

Lamb:

6 lamb shanks
60g peeled garlic
2 carrots
4 stalks celery
2 brown onions
10 black peppercorns
1/4 bunch rosemary
1/4 bunch thyme
4 bay leaves
500mL red wine
2L chicken stock

Pastry:

300g plain flour
160g chilled unsalted butter
100mL ice cold water
1/2 tsp table salt

Polenta:

15g peeled garlic
15g large red chillis
20g unsalted butter
75g Parmesan cheese
1 stalk rosemary
70g polenta

Method

Polenta:

Saute garlic and chilli in butter, add milk and rosemary and bring to boil. Whisk in polenta. Don’t be alarmed by the relatively small amount, it will thicken enough to make the polenta soft and creamy.

Simmer for 10-12 minutes, stirring. Remove rosemary stalk, fold in Parmesan and check seasoning.

Lamb:

Mince vegetables and mix with wine. Pour over shanks and marinate overnight, turning shanks 2 or 3 times.

The following day, preheat oven to 160 C. Remove shanks from marinade and brown in a baking tray large enough to hold all ingredients. Remove shanks, drain vegetables and add to pan. Saute until browned.

Add red wine and reduce until wine has almost evaporated. Add stock and return shanks to the tray. Cover tray and bake for 2 1/2-3 hours.

When shanks are tender carefully remove from tray and strain stock. Reduce strained stock, skimming top to remove fat, until reduced to 600mL. Check seasoning.

Pastry:

Mix butter, flour and salt in food processor until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add water and mix until dough is formed. Allow to rest for half an hour in refrigerator. Pre-heat oven to 170 C.

Once rested, cut dough into 6 round discs and roll to 0.5cm thickness. Press into tart rings and blind bake for 10 minutes. Remove blind baking material (eg rice) and bake a further 6 minutes.

To Assemble:

Toss garlic in olive oil, salt and pepper, wrap in foil and bake for 20-25 minutes. Leave to cool in foil.

Strip individual leaves from sprouts. Roast shiitake mushroom for 5 minutes. Cut base from enoki mushroom and separate mushroom into 12 clumps, leave raw.

Quickly blanch sprout leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds.

Third fill tart case with hot polenta.

Toss warm shank meat with sprout leaves, mushrooms, garlic, 100mL shank braising liquid and a drizzle of olive oil. Divide shank salad between tarts.

Drizzle with more olive oil and braising liquid.


HINT: Serve these shanks on the bone with soft polenta, or use the meat for this luscious lamb shank tart.

Recipe provided by Sails Beach Restaurant & Bar

Photo Credits: Sails Noosa Cookbook