Recipe: Brian Maule @ Le Chardon d'Or

Are you looking for a little inspiration this festive season? Something wow to serve for your friends and family that doesn't take too much effort?

We have just the thing from Brian Maule @ Le Chardon d'Or:

Braised shank of lamb, creamed potatoes, roast parsnips and a rosemary jus

SERVES FOUR

INGREDIENTS: 4 x shanks of lamb 1x onion 1.5 litre chicken or beef stock

1x clove garlic 6x parsnips Salt

1 packet spinach

1 sprig thyme 1 sprig rosemary 2-3 rooster potatoes

1⁄2 pint of double cream

150g butter

Start with the shank: turn up the bone and place it in a pot, cover the shanks with the stock and chop the onion roughly

Cut the garlic in half and place it in the pot with the lamb shanks

Add thyme, rosemary and a little salt

Bring the stock to the boil and cover with a sheet of grease proof paper then place it in the oven for around one and a half hours

Once cooked leave lamb to cool in the stock, then remove it keeping it whole and pass the stock through a strainer.

Put your potatoes in foil tray and place in oven until cooked then mash, add butter and fold in cream gradually until you get your preferred consistency

Peel the parsnips and cut them into even sized wedges, we usually get roughly 4-5 pieces per portion.

Cook them in boiling salted water until they are al dente so to speak then refresh them in iced salt water, cold drain and dry them well. Now, fry them slowly until golden brown all over

Pick and wash the spinach and chop the rosemary

When the time comes to reheat the lamb, put the shanks in a frying pan with the lamb stock, just enough to cover the base of the pan. Bring it to the boil and then place them in the oven, keep covering the lamb with stock so the meat is glazing as it heating up.

Whilst the lamb is in the oven, reheat your parsnips and mash then cook the spinach.

Place the mashed potatoes on the plate, then the spinach and put lamb on top, the parsnips on the side, add your rosemary to the sauce and drizzle it over your dish and all that's left to do now is eat it.

Enjoy!