Slow Cooker Red Lamb Shank

Reason for the name red wine and redcurrant jelly are both key in this recipe. Another Slow cooker recipe for the blog.

Serves 2

2 x Lamb Shanks
2 tbsp Red Currant Jelly
250ml Red Wine
750ml Lamb Stock
Handful of Rosemary
1 Onion, Diced
2 Garlic Clove, crushed
Knob Of Butter
4 tbsp Plain Flour, seasoned
2 tbsp Plain Flour (Optional)

1. In the removable part of the slow cooker or a frying pan melt butter over a medium heat. Coat the lamb shanks in the seasoned flour. Brown the meat in the butter for 5 minutes turning so its all browned.

2. Add the Onion and garlic and low the heat and sweat for 2 minutes. Then add the wine, stock, Redcurrant jelly, rosemary and season. Put in the slow cooker.  Give a stir. And leave for the following:

- Low - 7 - 8 Hours
- Medium -  5 - 6 Hours
- High - 3 - 4 Hours

3. Remove meat from the slow cooker. Put on mashed potato and serve with vegetables. If you want the sauce/gravy to be thicken put the sauce over a hob and mix in flour. It should thicken. Should be about 10 minutes.

Sausages in a Cider Gravy

I absolutely love cider and wanted to put it in one of my meals. The combination of pork sausages, apples and cider make a tasty meal.

Serves 4:

8 good quality pork sausages
1 Medium white onion, cut into wedges
2 Apples (Cox, braeburn, any eating apples)
    cored and cut into wedges
2 tbp redcurrant jelly
100 ml of Vegetable Stock
200ml of Cider
2 tsp French mustard
1 tsp Sage
Vegetable Oil

1. Heat oil in a frying pan. Poke holes in the sausage with a fork and fry them in the pan for 5 minutes. Turning them regularly.

2. Add the onions to the pan and fry these until soft and golden. After this throw in the apples and fry these until they begin to colour.

3. Make the 100ml mixture of vegetable stock (using either powdered or cubed stock), add the 200ml of cider to the mixture. Stir in the mustard and redcurrant jelly. Pour into the frying pan. Let the mixture boil and then reduce the heat.

4. Add the sage. Let the mixture to simmer for about 10 minutes. The sausages should be cooked and the gravy would have thickened. Serve with mashed potatoes.