“This dish is inspired by our Scottish brothers and sisters using the incredible spices found in haggis. Slow-cooked tender lamb shanks with a kick of marmalade and whisky, on a bed of creamy barley risotto. You will love it. ”
Place a large, non-stick frying pan on a high heat, season the lamb with sea salt and black pepper and sear for 15 to 20 minutes, turning until golden and gnarly all over.
Finely chop the bacon and cook in a large, high-sided casserole pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil for a couple of minutes over a medium heat, until the fat renders.
Meanwhile, peel the onions, swede and carrots, and roughly chop with the celery. Sweat everything down in the pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil for 15 minutes, or until softened and sweet.
Bash the allspice, peppercorns and cloves in a pestle and mortar until fine, then finely grate over most of the nutmeg. Sieve the spices over the veg pan, mix well, then add the whisky, stirring up all the sticky goodness from the base of the pan. Let it bubble away for a couple of minutes, then stir in the marmalade and flour, followed gradually by the beef stock, and bring to a simmer.
Add the lamb to the veg pan, followed by the bay leaves, then cover with a damp piece of greaseproof paper. Transfer to the oven and roast for 3 hours, or until the lamb is tender and easily pulls away from the bone.
For the risotto, trim, wash and finely chop the white part of the leeks, then place in a large, non-stick pan on a medium-low heat with the butter. Cook for 15 minutes, or until sweet and soft, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the barley to toast for 2 minutes, then pour in the chicken stock. Reduce the heat, then cover and cook for 45 minutes, or until the barley is tender and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Add the milk, then finely grate over the Cheddar and stir until creamy. Pour the risotto onto a platter, carefully top with the lamb shanks and spoon over the vegetable sauce. Delicious served with steamed greens.