Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes

    Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes

    • Vietnamese
    • Lamb

    Ingredients

    1. 2 tablespoons Ground Nut Oil
    2. 4 Lamb Shanks
    3. 2 Onion
    4. 2 tbs chopped Ginger
    5. 3 sliced thinly Garlic Clove
    6. 1 chopped Red Chilli
    7. 1 sliced Red Chilli
    8. 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
    9. 1 tsp Brown Sugar
    10. 3 Star Anise
    11. 2 Lemongrass Stalks
    12. 1L Lamb Stock
    13. 1 ½ tbsp Tomato Puree
    14. 4 Sweet Potatoes
    15. 2 tablespoons Fish Sauce
    16. Juice of 2 Lime
    17. Handful Mint
    18. Handful Basil Leaves

    How to prepare

    step 1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole, season the shanks, then brown them 2 at a time on all sides, adding the remaining oil for the second batch. Remove the lamb and add the onions. Fry them quite briskly, about 30 secs, add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli, then turn the heat down and cook for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp sugar, stir, then add the star anise, lemongrass, stock, purée and seasoning. Bring to the boil. step 2 Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hrs, then add the sweet potatoes and cook for 1 hr more. The lamb should be completely tender and almost falling off the bones. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and 1 tsp sugar to just lift the flavour, then scatter with the mint, basil and the sliced chilli to serve.