Complement the rich, robust flavors of lamb with a bright gremolata made with fresh lemon and garlic.

Preparation

Preheat oven to 300°F.

Heat an oven-safe stock pot or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, then sear lamb shanks on all sides, starting with the bottom and finishing with the sides. When shanks are well-browned, remove from pan and add onion, ½ of the carrots, ½ of the celery and garlic. Sauté over medium heat until they begin to caramelize. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, or until the paste begins to brown.

Deglaze the pan with red wine and reduce until it becomes a light glaze on the vegetables. Add the chicken stock, bay leaf and browned lamb shanks to the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid and place in the oven. Braise the shanks for 2 hours, until the meat pulls down on the bone (but does not fall off) and a knife inserts easily into the meat.  

Remove cooked shanks from the braising liquid, cover with foil and hold in a warm oven. Strain braising liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a sauce pot and reduce by ¾.

While the sauce is reducing, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. Add remaining vegetable oil, carrots and celery plus pearl onions. Sauté until they begin to brown, then add the reduced cooking liquid and bring to a boil. Add butter, reduce to a light glaze and reserve.

To make the spinach, in a separate sauté pan, add butter, spinach and shaved garlic, then cook over medium heat until the spinach has wilted. Season with salt and pepper. 

To make the gremolata, mix together the chopped parsley, lemon zest, garlic and olive oil.

To serve, place sautéed spinach in a bowl, top with lamb shank and spoon glazed vegetables and sauce over the top. Garnish with chopped chives and serve gremolata on the side.