• Heat a cast iron Dutch oven until it smokes.
• Season the shanks with salt, pepper and half of the chopped garlic; sear the shanks on all sides.
• Remove the shanks from the Dutch oven and add the onion, carrot, turnip, remaining garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent.
• Add the red wine and boil to reduce to half the volume.
• Add the stock and bring to a boil. When it boils, add the barley and shanks and return to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook, covered, for approximately 50 minutes, stirring occasionally. Test the shanks for tenderness.
• In a separate skillet, sauté the mushrooms in the butter.
• Place one lamb shank in each bowl. Ladle in 8 to 12 ounces of soup. Divide the mushrooms and parsley to top each bowl.
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped garlic, divided
1 large onion, chopped to 1/2-inch pieces
1 carrot, chopped to 1/2-inch pieces
1 large turnip, chopped to 1/2-inch pieces
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. thyme
6 bay leaves
1 quart red wine
4 quarts lamb or beef stock
1 cup pearl barley
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped coarsely, divided
This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2006.