Somerset Cider Braised Lamb Shanks with Apple, Pearl Onions & Rosemary
Apples and lamb? It just works.
There's something rather lovely about letting the seasons lead the way in the kitchen.
A couple of lamb shanks, a bottle of medium-sweet Somerset cider, some Bramley apples, and a few wedges of crisp, sharp eating apple, little pearl onions and a few sprigs of rosemary. Nothing complicated, just a collection of ingredients that seem to understand one another.
Slow-braised until the lamb is beautifully tender, with the Bramley melting into the cider to create the most wonderfully rich, balanced gravy. The pearl onions turn sweet and soft, while wedges of pink-fleshed Kissabel apple bring their own little bit of autumn magic (although any crisp, sharp eating apple that holds it's shape will do).
Served with creamy mashed potato, roasted rainbow carrots, baby fennel and gloriously caramelised giant spring onions, this is the sort of supper that makes you want to gather everyone around the table, pour another glass of cider and forget about the weather outside for a while.
And the best bit? It all started with a simple thought: apples and lamb. Why not?
Turns out, sometimes the simplest ideas are the very best ones.
Somerset Cider-Braised Lamb Shanks with Apple, Pearl Onions & Rosemary - The Recipe
The ingredients
For 2 generous servings
2 lamb shanks
500ml medium-sweet Somerset cider
1 beef stock pot
1 vegetable stock pot
2 tsp French mustard
1 Bramley apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
1 Kissabel apple, cored and cut into wedges
150–200g frozen pearl onions
2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
2–3 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus extra to serve
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
A little olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt, if needed
Let's get cooking
1. Brown the lamb
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan / 170°C conventional / Gas Mark 3.
Pat the lamb shanks dry and season with black pepper and a little salt. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy, ovenproof casserole and brown the shanks on all sides. Take your time here: that deep golden colour will bring plenty of flavour to the finished gravy.
Remove the shanks and set aside.
2. Build the flavour
Add the frozen pearl onions to the casserole and cook for a few minutes, allowing any surface moisture to evaporate and the onions to pick up a little colour.
Stir in the garlic, followed by the French mustard. Pour in the cider, scraping up all those lovely browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Add the beef and vegetable stock, the thyme and rosemary and stir until melted into the cider, then stir in the Bramley apple chunks.
3. Let time do its thing
Return the lamb shanks to the casserole, nestling them amongst the onions and apple. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven.
Braise for approximately 3–3½ hours, turning the shanks if needed, until the meat is beautifully tender and begins to pull away from the bone.
Check occasionally to make sure the liquid is gently simmering rather than boiling vigorously. Add a little extra stock or water if the casserole is becoming too dry.
4. Add the Eating Apple
During the final 25–35 minutes of cooking, tuck the apple wedges into the braising liquor. Allow them to soften while retaining some of their shape.
The Bramley will have broken down into the sauce, helping to thicken it naturally, while the pearl onions add their own gentle sweetness.
5. Finish the gravy
Once the lamb is tender, carefully remove the shanks and apple wedges and keep warm.
If the sauce needs thickening, simmer it gently on the hob until it reaches your preferred consistency. Taste before adding any further seasoning.
The aim is a rich, savoury gravy with the sweetness of the cider balanced by the apples and the depth of the stock. If it already tastes beautifully balanced, leave it alone. Not every sauce needs rescuing!
Return the lamb and apples to the casserole, or serve straight away with the gravy spooned generously over the top.
What to serve alongside
I served my Cider Braised Lamb Shanks with creamy mashed potato, roasted rainbow carrots, whole roasted baby fennel, giant spring onions split lengthways and roasted until caramelised, plus some green vegetables.
The mash is essential for catching that cider gravy, while the roasted vegetables bring colour, sweetness and a little caramelised bitterness to balance the rich lamb.
A glass of Somerset cider alongside wouldn't go amiss, either.
Jo's Kitchen Notes
On the apples: Bramley and the eating apple have different jobs here. The Bramley softens into the braising liquor, adding body and a gentle sharpness. The eating apple goes in towards the end, bringing a fresher apple flavour and a lovely seasonal flourish.
On the cider: I used a medium-sweet cider, and the finished sauce was beautifully balanced without needing any cider vinegar. The Bramley, mustard, stock and slow cooking all contribute to the final flavour.
On the stock: I used beef and vegetable stock pots rather than lamb stock. Use what you have, and taste before adding extra salt. We re using just the stock pots here, not adding any extra water to dilute.
On the mustard: French mustard worked beautifully in place of Dijon. This is home cooking, after all; a recipe should be a starting point, not a set of handcuffs.
On the timing: Lamb shanks reward patience. Three hours is a useful starting point, but the meat decides when it's ready. If it still resists a fork, give it longer.
A little autumn comfort
This is the sort of cooking I love most: seasonal ingredients, a little Somerset character and no need to make things more complicated than they need to be.
Apples and lamb? It just works.
And sometimes, that's all the reason you need to put a casserole in the oven, light the kitchen up with its warmth and bring everyone to the table.
