The Cathedral Restaurant makes a Souris d’Agneau or Lamb Shank that I have coveted but always forget to order when I go there. Nothing for it but to make it at home, along with the celebrated Mogettes de Vendee or Coco beans.
I attempted to make these earlier in the summer but they were overcooked and not quite the superb beans I had in a soup in the Vendee. This time I aced it! I immediately set 2 mini casseroles aside for the Parrets and added a small piece of lamb shank.
These are wonderful beans. Correctly cooked, they should be firm on the outside with a creamy interior. This time, inspired by http://www.cowgirlchef.com, I cooked these with onions, garlic and a handful of pork rillauds.
The two lamb shanks were cooked in my clay pot with a rich sauce of wine and tomatoes.
Lamb Shanks with Coco Beans
2 lamb shanks
Flour
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 fresh thyme sprigs
1 large fresh rosemary sprig
5 or 6 fresh parsley sprigs
10 ounces red wine
1 can diced tomatoes
12 ounces veal or chicken broth
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup pork rillauds or ham hock, coarsely chopped
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups of shucked coco beans
1 large bay leaf
Flour the lamb shanks and brown in the olive oil in a skillet. Remove and put inside a pre-soaked clay pot.
Add the onions, shallots and garlic cloves to the same skillet you used for the lamb and cook until the onion is soft. Add the thyme, parsley, rosemary and red wine and boil for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stir for 2 minutes. Add the broth and cook for 5 minutes. Pour over lamb shanks. Put the top on the clay pot and cook in a 400 degree oven for 1 hour.
To cook the beans, brown the rillauds in the olive oil, add the onions, garlic and cook until the onion is soft. Add the beans, bay leaf and water to cover. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes.
Lamb shank… my absolute favourite cut of meat in the world. I love this. Great photos and a really appealing recipe. Thanks.
Thank you Frugal.
wow this looks mouthwatering!
Thanks Laura
Great pictures – getting better every day. By the way, the beans are moGettes, not moQUettes. Moquette is the slang for dope!
Thanks Roger. I have corrected the spelling on the post. I don’t want any one to think that I am pushing the wrong thing 🙂
My wife hates lamb (or at least thinks she does). Any cuts of beef, chicken, or pork this would work with?
Jim, I don’t know if your wife has had New Zealand lamb, which is a sweet, tender piece of lamb. If she has and still doesn’t like it, then substitute a hock of ham. This will work well and be not the same but good. Thanks for visiting my site!
Ohhhhh, lamb with beans. What a fantastic combo. What a great looking dish.
Thanks Josh.
Mogettes, Moquettes… That’s hilarious! It does not matter to me what you name your dish because 1) I’d believe you (I don’t speak French) and 2) your food always looks wonderful!
Thank you for your support Tessa. That Roger is so picky 🙂
That is such a great looking recipe! Great pictures!!! I am getting there (sloooowly!)
Thanks Ambro! I’m sure you are getting there, you just don’t realize it. You’ll see.
I want to experience this savory and sumptuous dish. It’s kinda appetizing and interesting.
Do make it!
Beautiful!
Thank you, Greg
It was nice to see your work on Food Porn again this morning. Great job as usual! Pretty soon you will have your own category on that site!
Thank you Tessa!
Pingback: Recipe Roundup October 2011 « A Gaming Girl's Take on Life
Making this now! Luckily the thyme grows close to the ground and I was able to pick some fresh. Surprised there is no salt. Well, I am eager for dinner!