A Dad's Dish and A Daughter's Tradition

By the book and follow the recipe, my mother taught me ...

This is how we cook.

By instinct and the flow of your heart, my father taught me ...

This is how we cook.

...

My parents both taught me to cook, mum taught me the basics, the core skills … but dad, dad showed me how to enjoy making food, to cook with my heart not from a recipe book, to create a meal to share.

I lost my dad when I was 17 … twenty-two years later there is a meal that immediately pulls me back through the mists of time, where if I close my eyes and take a deep breath, the smell of this one dish my dad taught me to cook … a meal to share with loved ones, a meal to show someone you care … a meal I hope to make for the one I hold most dear one day, and if I end up blessed in that way, to teach my own children to cook.

Every time I make it, dad’s there by my side - that little voice reminding me of the steps and the recipe. I can hear his voice again, his guidance in teaching me how to make it, just like that first time he let me make it for family dinner. This is not a tricky dish to make, but I believe it shows a lot of love and care for those it is made for nonetheless. In our family we just call it 'Greek Lamb', we are not Greek by heritage, I'm not even sure if it's Greek in style, dad made it up one time after trying a Greek lamb dish and thinking it could be improved.

First, you must delicately place the lamb shanks in the oven dish - these little things are owed thanks and respect for giving us nourishment, so don’t just throw them in willy-nilly.

The stock cubes, feel free to launch the little suckers, they didn’t do anything noteworthy so just chuck em in. Next is the crushed tomatoes, something dad taught me that mum didn’t, when you can, replace water with more of another ingredient! Less water = more flavour!

It’s odd, mum sticks so much to the ‘recipe’ of this dish that she limits the crushed tomatoes to one tin, no matter how many shanks or what size dish … my ‘dad-tip’ … judge it based on the size and space available. But pour in, I would say minimum two big tins of crushed tommies, then add a Rockbiter’s good big strong hand of dried onion flakes (trust me, this works better than fresh onion for this dish) then just let that all sit for a moment while we deal with the greatest natural discovery of humanity …

PO-TAY-TOES (go on, you know you wanna sing it …)

In this case none of those methods; we shall be slicing them. So peel them spuds (again, eyeball on space in the cooking dish but around 4 should do you well for 4 shanks) and then slice them. Measure none, cut once, but cut with your heart … I like to do some thicker and some thinner, but not too thin or they’ll either disintegrate like an Avenger, or burn like Anakin Skywalker. (if dad ever got to see any of those films … he would like that joke)

Dad … I often wonder how he would have handled my transition - I like to believe he would have been on my side and by my side even more, and proud to have a daughter he could share stupid weird jokes with, and share acquired tastes in food and drink with … most of all I believe he would have been proud and happy that I could finally be myself, the daughter he always had, but never got to meet. I think if he was still here, I would have made this dish for him and mum on the night I came out.

Once you’ve sliced your taters, lay them out and fill the oven dish with them, I like to layer a few over the lamb but just get them in there. Then top the whole thing with *juuuuust* enough water to make sure everything is sitting submerged, *just!* final step of phase one … a good sprinkling of oregano all over the top of everything.

Then it’s in the oven for an ABSOLUTE MINIMUM of four hours … Mum says 180C but, I aim for six at 160C - this is a low and slow situation … and I think what goes to show someone how much you care when you make this dish … it takes time, not huge efforts in prep … but it takes time.

When it’s ready to pull, there’s two extra but optional steps … I like to have it so the juices all reduce to the perfect amount naturally … but here’s where mum’s method can be good, strain (carefully) all the liquid you can, then thicken with some cornflour, but while doing that, bung a stack of grated cheese on top of the shanks, put back in the oven and crank it to like 200/220 fan forced. Then just before serving, once cheese is melted, pour the sauce back over, and we’re ready to go.

We used to serve with rice, but as dad taught me, trust your cooking gut and try new things sometimes … so I started serving with couscous, I find it works better and isn’t quite as heavy, it lets the shank be the star. I also serve with pan-seared green beans!

And well, if you wanna pair with a glass of wine (something I sadly never shared with dad) I would suggest a Shiraz

Here’s the recipe mum once wrote up … (with some tweaks by me) I have never really used it, as unlike much of my childhood, I have never forgotten how to make this dish since dad showed me when I was in my early teens.

Greek Lamb

Lamb shanks (1 per person)

Dried onion flake

4-6 good sized potatoes

Beef stock cubes (Massell)

Large (400g) tin of crushed tomatoes (approx 1 tin per 2 shanks)

Oregano

Cheese (grated)

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Place lamb shanks, stock cubes, in casserole dish

Pour over crushed tomatoes, then add dried onions

Peel and slice potatoes and arrange on top of mixture

Add just enough water to just cover meat and potatoes

Sprinkle oregano over everything

Cover and cook in the oven for at least four hours 180 degrees

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When cooked, drain off juices into a large jug

Spread grated cheese over shanks and put back into the oven.

Thicken the juices with corn flour and pour back over the shanks.

Serve with couscous or rice (and green beans)

CousCous

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I’m not teaching you how to cook couscous, read the packet

Green beans

Beans

Butter

Seasoning (personal preference)

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Pan sear green beans in butter

When nearly cooked to your liking, sprinkle garlic salt, paprika to taste

Enjoy