France - Lamb Shanks with Leeks


Ingredients:
4 lamb shanks

olive oil
1 onion

2 slices of lard, diced
1 glass of red wine

honey
salt

spices (1 tsp use your imagination here)
Leeks 2-3

1 orange
nutmeg powder


Directions:

Put your oven on thermostat 7 (425°F). In a dish that can go in the oven, brown the lamb shanks into two table spoons of olive oil. When they are brown, add the sliced onion and the lard. Once done, add the glass of red wine, two table spoons of acacia honey. Add salt and sprinkle with a teaspoon of spice. Put in the oven and let it gently simmer for 1h 45mins. Add the beans, the orange peel and the ground nutmeg. Put back in the oven for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Follow up:

Brazil - Vatapá de Peixe e Camarão (Brazilian fish & shrimp stew with coconut milk)
Serves: 4 to 6


Ingredients:


Oil 3 Tbl

Onions 2 (minced)
Garlic 2-3 cloves (minced)

Jalapeño peppers 1-4 each (minced - how hot do you like it?)
Dried Shrimp 1/2cup (optional)

Peanut or cashew butter, 3/4 cup
Stock or water 1 1/2 cups

Coconut milk 2 cups
Lime 1-2 (juice)

Salt & pepper to taste
Fish, white 1 lb (in large chunks)

Shrimp 1/2 to 1 lb (cleaned)
Cilantro 1/2 bunch (chopped)


Directions:

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced onions, garlic and jalapeño. Sauté until cooked through and onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes.
Stir in ground dried shrimp well. Cook through about 2-3 minutes.

Stir in peanut or cashew butter well to get rid of lumps and heat through.
Stir in stock, coconut milk, juice of 1 lime and salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and let simmer slowly for 10 to 15 minutes.

Add the fish and let slowly simmer another 5-6 minutes till fish is almost cooked through.
Add the shrimp and let simmer another 3-4 minutes till shrimp is cooked through.

Stir in the cilantro and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Add the juice of the second lime if you think it is needed. There should be a balance between the sweet of the coconut milk and the sour of the lime. Serve with rice.


Variations:
* Vatapá de Galinha: substitute 2-3 lbs of chicken for the fish & shrimp.

* Some recipes call for the addition of 1 T of fresh, minced ginger. Others for 1-2 cups of chopped tomatoes. And some list about 1 cup of stale bread, soaked in coconut milk and then blended till smooth. The bread is then added with the liquids and serves to thicken the stew. Follow your heart. Just remember the basic flavors of the dish are onion, dried shrimp, coconut milk, nut butter and lime.
* If you really can't find dried shrimp, you can puree about 1 cup of fresh raw shrimp in a blender and substitute it for the dried.