Jarrets D’Agneau A La Grecque

Servings: 4
Ingredients:

4    Lamb, shanks                        1 lb Tomatoes, italian, plum,
3    Garlic, cloves, slivered                 -- seeded, coarsely chopped
Salt (to taste)                          -- OR
Pepper (to taste)                   2 c  Tomatoes, italian, plum,
2 md Onions, sliced                           -- canned, with liquid,
3/4 c  Oil, olive, extra virgin                 -- coarsely crushed
1/2 ts Oregano, dried                      1 c  Orzo (rice shaped pasta)
1 pn Cinnamon (opt)                    1/2 c  Cheese, kefalotiri, freshly
3/4 c  Wine, white, dry                         -- grated OR
2 c  Stock, chicken **                 1/2 c  Cheese, Parmesan, grated

** See other recipe for Chicken Stock.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Using a sharp paring knife, remove as much of the fat, sinew and
translucent membrane as possible from the lamb shanks.

Insert garlic slivers into shanks, either by finding natural
divisions in the meat or by cutting small incisions.

Salt and pepper generously.

Arrange lamb shanks in roasting pan, strew on onion slices, and
drizzle olive oil over all.

Roast in the oven for 25 minutes.

Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the lamb with oregano,
and cinnamon then spoon tomatoes onto the lamb, mounding up the
tomatoes on each shank.

Pour the white wine around the meat and return the pan to the
oven. Roast for an additional 45 minutes.

Remove lamb shanks from the pan and set aside.

Add chicken stock to the pan, stirring.

Stir in the orzo.

Arrange the shanks on top of the orzo and baste them with some of
the stock.

Return the pan to the oven. Cook until pasta is just tender and
nearly all of the liquid has been absorbed (about 15 minutes).

Remove from the oven, cover pan tightly with aluminum foil, and
let stand about 5 minutes.

Serve hot with grated cheese.

Source: New York’s Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine
: Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland
: The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985

Chef: Andree Abramoff, Andree’s Mediterranean Restaurant, New York

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