A whole-hearted winter warmer recipe, with love The Table Bay 

Keen to try your hand at a warm wholesome dish made with love in the comfort of your own home? Why not try this delightful The Table Bay hotel inspired recipe that you can easily prepare with family or friends. Make your grocery list, get out your cooking pots and casserole dish, heat up the stove, and get ready to take your cooking skills to the next level in just nine easy steps, by making a lamb shank, with barley risotto and butternut.

“Lamb shank is just perfect for those colder winter days where you can put it on the stove, forget about it and come back after a couple of hours to a melt in your mouth meal for the whole family or group of friends,” says Wesli Charles Jacobs, Executive Sous Chef at The Table Bay hotel. “It’s a warm flavourful dish which pairs beautifully with barley risotto and butternut”, says Jacobs.

Jacobs, who is obsessed with food and everything about it, has been part of The Table Bay family since the end of 2019 and believes his love affair with food began as a young boy helping his mom in the kitchen.

Located in Cape Town’s Victoria & Alfred Waterfront – the most visited destination in Africa – the hotel boasts breath-taking views of Table Mountain, the Waterfront, Table Bay and Robben Island. The hotel’s 329 stylishly furnished rooms, which include two presidential suites, all offer panoramic ocean or mountain views.

LAMB SHANK WITH BARLEY RISOTTO AND BUTTERNUT

Difficulty: 5/10

Serves: 4

Hands on Time: 30minutes

Total time: 2hours 30minutes

Ingredients

  • 300g x 4 portions lamb shank
  • 1 Garlic clove whole
  • 1 Bottle of Red wine
  • 200ml Chicken stock
  • 2 x Bay leaves
  • 100g Celery
  • 100g Carrot
  • 100g Leeks
  • 100g Pearl Barley
  • 80ml White wine
  • 10g Thyme
  • 80g Butter unsalted
  • 2 x Onion peeled
  • 1 x Clove garlic
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 tsp Black pepper
  • 200g Butternut
  • 5g Micro pea shoots

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
  2. To begin, Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Add oil to pan on high heat to your cast iron casserole dish, large enough to snugly fit all of the lamb shanks.
  3. Fry the Lamb shank in batches, being careful to not let them colour too much. Add one onion, celery, leeks, carrots and bay leaf once the lamb shanks have been removed from the pot. Cook for 5 minutes then add red wine and chicken stock on medium heat for 3 minutes.
  4. Place all of the browned lamb shanks in the casserole dish and cover with foil the entire casserole dish. Add dish into the oven and cook for 2 hours or till falling slightly off the bone.
  5. Add water to a pot and fill with pearl barley. Allow to cook for 30 minutes or till soft.
  6. In a separate saucepan add butter and sautéed onions. Once onions are translucent add thyme and soft barley. Add white wine and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Add fresh cream, parmesan and season to taste.
  7. Cut butternut into 4cm x 4cm cubes and blanch till soft. Add butter to saucepan and sautéed butternut with salt and pepper to taste.
  8. Once lamb shanks are done, plate shank bone side up with barley risotto next to shank and butternut on top of risotto.
  9. Garnish plate with micro shoots