Lamb Shanks with Artichoke Caponata

Notes: Serve with soft polenta or hot cooked orzo (rice-shaped) pasta. For an additional rich touch, sprinkle servings of shanks with toasted pine nuts.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 4  lamb shanks (3 3/4 to 4 1/4 lb. total), bones cracked
• Fresh-ground pepper
• 1  onion (1/2 lb.), peeled and chopped
• 1  red bell pepper (1/2 lb.), rinsed, stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
• 1  cup  thinly sliced celery
• 1  box (8 oz.) frozen artichoke hearts
• 1  cup  drained pitted calamata olives
• 1  tablespoon  drained capers
• 1  teaspoon  dried basil
• 1  can (14 1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  red wine vinegar
• 1 1/2  tablespoons  cornstarch
• 2  tablespoons  chopped parsley

Preparation

1. Rinse shanks, pat dry, and arrange slightly apart in a 10- by 15-inch pan; sprinkle all over with pepper.

2. Bake shanks in a 450° oven until well browned, 20 to 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, in a 4 1/2-quart or larger electric slow-cooker, combine onion, bell pepper, celery, artichoke hearts, olives, capers, and basil. Set shanks on vegetables in cooker. Add tomatoes with juice, vinegar, and any lamb juices from baking pan.

4. Cover and cook until lamb is very tender when pierced with a fork, 6 to 6 1/2 hours on low, 4 to 4 1/2 hours on high.

5. With a slotted spoon, transfer each shank to a wide, shallow bowl and keep warm. Skim and discard fat from cooking liquid. Turn cooker to high. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 1 1/2 tablespoons water; pour into cooker and stir often until sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes. Spoon sauce and vegetables over lamb, and sprinkle portions with parsley.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

834 (56% from fat)

Protein:

64g

Fat:

52g (sat 20)

Carbohydrate:

25g

Fiber:

6.4g

Sodium:

1155mg

Cholesterol:

229mg