Main Ingredients:

See below ingredients and instructions of the recipe

Cooking Preparation of the Recipe:

------------------------LAMB SHANKS-----------------------------
1 qt Pomegranate juice 2 tb Vegetable oil
1 c Mint leaves Salt and pepper
4 lg Heads garlic 4 md Carrots; cut in 1/4" dice
-2 separated into cloves 3 md Onions; finely chopped
-2 halved crosswise 3 c Dry red wine
1/4 c Grenadine 1 c Canned tomatoes, chopped
6 Meaty lamb shanks (1 lb ea) 2 c Chicken stock
-well trimmed

-------------------BARLEY AND KALE RAGOUT------------------------
1 1/2 c Pearl barley (10 oz) -leaves coarsely chopped
Salt Freshly ground pepper
1 lb Kale; stemmed 1/4 c Parsley to garnish

1. In a nonreactive medium saucepan, boil the pomegranate juice over
high heat until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Let cool to room
temperature.

2. In a blender or food processor, puree the pomegranate juice with
the mint, peeled garlic cloves and grenadine. Put the lamb shanks in
a large glass or ceramic dish and pour the marinade on top. Cover and
refrigerate for at least 12 and up to 24 hours, turning the shanks
occasionally.

3. Preheat oven to 375øF. Heat the oil in a large, heavy nonreactive
skillet. Drain the lamb shanks and pat dry. Season them liberally
with salt and pepper. Add 2 or 3 shanks at a time to the skillet and
cook over moderately high heat, turning, until well browned all over.
Transfer the shanks to a roasting pan just large enough to hold them
all.

4. Reduce the heat under the skillet to moderate and stir in the
carrots, onions, and halved garlic heads. Cook until the onions just
soften, about 3 minutes. Add the wine, increase the heat to
moderately high and scrape up any browned bits that are stuck to the
pan. Boil until the wine is reduced to 1 cup, about 7 minutes. Stir
in the tomatoes and pour the mixture over the lamb shanks. Add the
chicken stock and enough water to submerge the shanks by two-thirds.
Season with salt and pepper. cover the roasting pan with foil and
braise the shanks in the oven until the meat is tender and pulling
away from the bones, about 2 hours.

5. Meanwhile, make the barley and kale ragout: In a deep-sided medium
skillet, toast the barley over moderate heat, stirring constantly,
until golden brown, about 7 minutes. Add 4« cups of water, season
with salt and bring to a boil. cover, reduce the heat to moderately
low and simmer until the barley is tender and all the water has been
absorbed, about 40 minutes. Keep warm.

6. Transfer the lamb shanks to a platter. Cover with foil and keep
warm. Squeeze the garlic cloves from the heads and add to the sauce
in the roasting pan, or reserve them for another use. Stir the kale
into the sauce until wilted, then strain the sauce into a large
nonreactive saucepan; cover the vegetables in the strainer to keep
them warm.

7. Boil the sauce over high heat until reduced to about 4« cups; set
aside 3/4 cup. Stir the vegetables and barley into the sauce in the
saucepan and season with salt and pepper.

8. Spoon the barley and kale ragout onto 6 large plates and set a lamb
shank on top. Spoon the reserved sauce over the meat and garnish with
chopped parsley.

Food and Wine January 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 02-01-95

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