Tarragon Lamb Shanks Recipe
If you never tried tarragon lamb shanks, a dish from Armenian cuisine, you’re missing out on something very delicious and so unique.
It’s a classic dish, that’s quite popular in some modern, Armenian restaurants. Richness and simplicity of flavors make this tarragon lamb shank dish a real gourmet meal. Traditionally it’s served with spelt wheat, on the side, or as we call it in Armenian : hachar. But I find that simple, cooked, whole potatoes will be a great side to this tarragon lamb shank dish. Especially, when potatoes are drizzled with that rich, flavorful and thick lamb bouillon. If you go with potatoes for side dish,I will recommend to use small, unpeeled potatoes with thin tender skin.
In the YouTube video tutorial , I filmed the spelt wheat version for side, so you should see how it’s done and full recipe will be below, right after tarragon lamb shank recipe.
Hope you guys try this, truly delicious Armenian dish and like it!
Remember to share your opinion and feedback after you try this dish, you can always reach me out on my Facebook or instagram pages.
Happy cooking!
Ingredients
*This portion will serve 2 people, double or triple the recipe if you like
1 ½ -2 lbs lamb shanks, be sure to wash, tap dry ,remove extra fats and skin
Cold water and medium size pot for cooking the meat, water needs to cover the meat fully, plus 2”-3” extra ,as it’ll simmer during cooking
For the bouillon
2 tbs all purpose flour
½ cup water, room temp.
1 cup beer, any kind will work
⅓ cup sour cream, or heavy cream
2-3 tbs dry tarragon
Half a bunch fresh tarragon
1 tsp ground black pepper
Salt to taste
For the spelt wheat /side dish
1 cup spelt wheat, cleaned, washed
2 cups boiling water
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter
1 large onion, sliced into semi circles
7-8 mini bell peppers, or one large pepper, I used colorful ones, use any kind
Salt pepper to taste
Directions
Start by cooking the lamb meat
Bring to a boil, remove the foam from the top of the broth, lower the heat, semi cover with lid and cook until the meat is tender
Remove the cooked meat from its pot and set aside while you make the dressing or bouillon
Mix the water and flour until incorporated and no lumps are left, set aside
Add all other ingredients into the pot: beer, dry and fresh tarragon, cream, salt, pepper, stir to combine
Slowly pour that flour mixture into the pot, use a whisk to mix to avoid any lumps and sticking
Cook this mixture about 2-4 minutes and place the lamb meat back into the pot
If the bouillon isn’t covering the meat, since it may be simmer while cooking, use a ladle to drizzle the meat with bouillon and be sure to turn the meat a few times during cooking
Cook everything another 5-7 minutes
Let the meat set 10-15 minutes before serving
Making the spelt wheat
Place the wheat and boiling water in a pot, over medium to low heat
Cover the lid and simmer until no water is left, about 10-15 minutes
While that’s cooking, saute onions with oil and butter
As the onions turn light golden color, add the sliced peppers and sauté a a few more minutes
Pour the sautéed veggies over the cooked pudding and let it set 5-7 minutes, mix and serve
Bon appetit!
Բարի Ախորժակ!
