Mount Zero French Green Style Lentils
Cook the soaked lentils in water until they are soft (10-15 minutes), do not season. Drain and set aside.
Combine Madeira/Malmsey, Sherry vinegar, sugar, and a good pinch of sea salt in a saucepan and heat until the sugar and salt have dissolved.
In a separate pan heat half the MZ olive oil and saute the vegetables until they are soft, without caramelising. Add the garlic and continue to cook until soft. Add the thyme and the Madeira, sherry vinegar, chicken stock, salt & sugar and reduce quickly by half. Incorporate the cooked lentils & continue cooking for a few minutes until all the ingredients are well combined. Check the seasoning now and add more salt if necessary and plenty of freshly ground black pepper.
Finally, stir through the remaining olive oil for extra lusciousness.
Braised Lamb Shanks in Madeira/Malmsey
In an ovenproof casserole, heat the olive oil and roast the shanks until they are nicely caramelised.
Remove the shanks and add the carrots first and roast slowly until well coloured, followed by the onions, celery and finally the garlic following the same process. It’s important the vegetables are all well cooked and their natural sugars have caramelised properly for maximum flavour.
Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes before deglazing with Madeira/Malmsey and reducing to burn off the alcohol. Continue with the beef stock and bring to the boil before adding the bay leaves, rosemary, and crushed black pepper.
Finally transfer the shanks back into the cooking liquor in the casserole and cover with a cartouche (greaseproof paper with a hole in the middle), before putting the lid on and placing in a preheated, hot oven at 180’C. Cook for 2-3 hours until the meat is soft and gelatinous.
When cooked remove the shanks and cover with foil to keep them warm and pass the braising stock through a sieve into a saucepan to remove the vegetables and rosemary. Bring the stock to the boil and reduce until the sauce is thick, rich and glossy.
Mount Zero Picual Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes
Peel and cut the potatoes into evenly sized pieces. Bring them to the boil in an appropriately-sized pot of salted water and cook for at least 20-25 mins. Drain the potatoes and allow to steam dry in the colander for a couple of minutes.
Return the potatoes to the pot and set over a low heat. Mash the potatoes on the heat with a masher for a couple more minutes allowing excess moisture to continue to evaporate. Remove from the heat and continue to mash until as smooth as possible.
Using a plastic spatula, incorporate (whip) the olive oil and milk until smooth and creamy.
Season to taste.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Place the Brussels sprouts in a pot of cold water, season with salt and bring to the boil.
Continue to cook until the sprouts are well cooked. Drain well and roast in olive oil until beautifully caramelised, finish with butter for total deliciousness and season.
THE SPROUTS SHOULD NOT BE GREEN!
To serve
Reheat the shanks and place them on your serving dish of choice, bring the sauce to the boil, add a generous amount of lentils and finish with freshly chopped parsley. Reheat the mash adjusting its consistency if necessary with more milk or EVO and spoon onto the dish. Pour the boiling sauce with lentils, liberally over the shanks and serve with the roast Brussels sprouts.
