Slow Cooked Lamb and Baby Onions

This dish looks complicated but it isn't it's another one of those leave in the oven dishes. The ingredients are a little expensive but if you have friends over for Supper it's a little bit of heaven on a plate with very little effort. I used a Large Lamb Shank cut which is the lower part of the leg but much bigger than your normal shank.

1.5 Kg Lower leg of Lamb
1 Large Onion, peeled and quartered
1 Celery sticks, roughly chopped
3 Carrots, roughly chopped
500gms of Baby Onions, unpeeled
Sprig of Rosemary
2 Litres Lamb Stock
4 Whole Cloves of Garlic, peeled
Sea Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Olive Oil

Heat your oven to 160 degrees. Put the onion, carrots, garlic and celery into a large oven proof pot. Season the lamb with plenty of salt and pepper. Make a few small cuts in the skin and insert the rosemary leaves. Add the Lamb to the pot and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil on the hob.

Now seal your pot. Put a double layer of foil over the top and weigh down with the lid. Transfer the pot to the oven and leave it alone for 4 hours or until the lamb is falling of the bone. 45 minutes before the lamb is done put the baby onions into a dish and drizzle with olive oil and put in the oven. If you are going to serve this dish with roast potatoes you can put those in with the onions at this stage.

I roast the onions first because I can't stand peeling them and the resulting tears! Now remove the Lamb from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Using a hand blender, blend the stock and vegetables until smooth. This is your simple but gorgeous gravy. Take the onions out and cut the top off each one. The onions should be just cooked through. Anymore and they will turn to mash. Use some kitchen towel to squeeze each one and they will pop out of their skins. Discard the skins. Serve on a big platter in the centre of the table with rice or roast potatoes and a big jug of gravy. Your friends will be very impressed and you can then brush off any compliments with the phrase...'it was nothing really'... because it's true!