🍖 Lamb Shank with Grape Molasses and Rosemary

🍇 The deep flavour of grape molasses meets Samian wine

Lamb shank with grape molasses is a rich, deeply flavoured dish in which slow-cooked lamb is combined with two ingredients closely connected to the vine: grape molasses and dry Muscat wine of Samos.

The grape molasses gives the sauce sweetness and depth without turning the dish into something overly sweet, while the wine brings acidity and aromatic balance. Rosemary is added towards the end, giving the lamb the fresh Mediterranean aroma that suits it perfectly.

Carrot, onion, celery and garlic form the base of the sauce, in which the lamb shanks slowly cook until tender and juicy.

👨‍🍳 Method

1. Prepare the lamb

Season the lamb shanks generously with salt on all sides.

Heat the olive oil in a large, wide ovenproof pot.

Once very hot, add the shanks and brown them over high heat until they develop a deep golden colour on all sides.

Do not rush this stage, as proper browning adds considerable flavour to the finished sauce.

2. Sauté the vegetables

Remove the lamb shanks temporarily from the pot.

If too much fat has accumulated, remove some of it.

Add the carrot, onion, celery and garlic and sauté for a few minutes, until slightly softened and beginning to colour.

3. Deglaze with Muscat wine of Samos

Pour in the dry Muscat wine of Samos and scrape the bottom of the pot well to release all the caramelised bits left from the meat.

Allow the wine to simmer briefly so that some of the alcohol evaporates.

4. Add the grape molasses

Add the grape molasses, followed by the chicken stock.

Stir until combined and return the lamb shanks to the pot.

At this stage the sauce will still appear fairly thin; it will concentrate during cooking and particularly during the final reduction.

5. Cook in the oven

Cover the pot and transfer it to a preheated oven.

Cook at 180°C for approximately 1 hour, until the lamb is tender.

Depending on the size of the shanks, a little more time may be needed. The meat should become soft and pull away easily from the bone.

6. Reduce the sauce

Remove the lamb shanks from the pot and keep them warm.

Place the sauce over medium heat and simmer until reduced to a thick, glossy consistency.

Taste and adjust the salt and freshly ground pepper.

Add the rosemary at the end so that its aroma remains fresh and pronounced.

🍽️ Serving

Place one lamb shank on each plate and generously spoon over the grape molasses and Muscat wine sauce.

Roasted vegetables or celeriac purée make excellent accompaniments.

Roast potatoes or a smooth mashed potato also work beautifully, especially for soaking up the rich sauce.