I have been coveting the idea of a Dutch oven for quite some time…and the feelings and desire are becoming more and more intense these days.  Isn’t that funny, something so silly as a cooking vessel (when I have plenty of other amazing cooking tools) can drive my mind wild!

Well, thank goodness for the kindness of friends, and for daily culinary inspiration.

With two of the best tools on hand – a great Dutch oven on loan (my heart goes to the Le Creuset or Staub brand, but my eventual savings plan will most likely go towards a Lodge of somesort) and phenomenal sea salt, an amazing and heart warming creation was in store.
I am a sea salt fanatic.  I love good salt.  I adore it.  At times I feel that certain foods merely serve as vehicles for the best tasting salts around.  I’ve even been known to have been caught with my finger in the salt pig – “red handed,” as they say – or maybe “salt fingered,” in this case.
Anyway, for this lamb delight, I used Sarah’s Sea Salt “Provencal” from Coastal Goods.  This is a lovely combination of French herbs (mainly lavendar with lemon peel and marjarom) with a delicate sea salt.

I hesitated to choose lamb shanks for this feast, only due to the fact that I hesitate to purchase meat on the bone in general.  I simply feel the purchase to be far from economical.  Yes, the price per pound is less, but the yield is far less as well.  Basically, I feel like I’m paying for a whole lot of bone when I feel like eating a whole lot of meat!

In any case, I was convinced otherwise this time, and went with the shanks.
I rubbed my salt mixture all over the shanks, browned them in the dutch oven, followed by the caramelization of onions and carrots in the rendered fat, combined the two with a bit of wine, covered tightly, and allowed for the magic to happen deep inside the oven.

The aroma was fantastic, by the way.

Two hours later – the feast.

Slow Roasted Lamb

2 large lamb shanks
2 Tbs. Sarah’s Sea Salt “Provencal”
1 large onion, diced
4 medium carrots, diced
1 c. mushrooms, sliced (I did have any on hand, but believe this would add an excellent boost of flavor and texture to the dish)
1 c. white wine
1 c. water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
Rub the sea salt mixture over all sides of the shanks, to thoroughly coat.  Over medium high heat, sear all sides of the shanks in a dutch oven.  Remove from heat and set aside.  Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms to the rendered fat.  Saute until caramelized.  Add the shanks back to the mixture, along with the wine and water.
Cover and place in the oven for approximately 90 minutes. 
Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes.
Savor the amazing aroma…

Enjoy over sauteed asparagus and roasted potatoes.