[Will Hunt]

I'm cooking to impress tomorrow and need to know what to have with my sexy looking lamb shanks. I was thinking mashed spuds but need a way to liven this up. Flatmate suggested onion mash but not sure if I've ever had this. I'm sure I'd like it but she might not. Is this onion mash shizzle easy to love and prepare?
What else? Carrots seem a bit boring?

Basically I'm a clumsy and unimaginative bastard in the kitchen and need something that's going to be easy, tasty and special. UKB, your mission has been set!

[Paul B]

Thyme Cafe (Sheff) do a really nice curried lamb shank with a nice smooth mash Mmmmmm.

I've also had one with polenta which was nice.

[Bubba]

Carrots don't have to be boring; they are nice honey-glazed and very easy to prepare: here and here

Onion mash should be easy, just google it

One from the Thyme cookbook is to get a load of fresh baby spinach - blanch it in boiling water then fry it in some nice butter for a few minutes. Then soak the butter off with some kitchen towel and serve. Not exactly health-food but very yummy.

How are you cooking the shanks? The slower the better imho to get that tender, fall of the bone, slightly glutinous thing going on.

Good luck!

[Will Hunt]

Cheers Bubs. Quite like the baby spinach idea, that should be nice with the mash.

[Jim]

Cheesy mustard mash is the best!

[SA Chris]

Let us know if it scores you a home win or not.

[Graeme78]

I'd second cheesy mustard mash, also I've recently been experimenting with butternut squash in my mash, and that tastes rather fine too.
Like Bubba says make sure you cook your lamb shanks long and slow.

[dave]

best lamb shank recipe you'll ever taste. i shit you not.

[SA Chris]

Sweet potato mash is lovely stuff too. In fact sweet potato anything is great.

[Jaspersharpe]

best lamb shank recipe you'll ever taste. i shit you not.

Lamb Shanker.

[magpie]

Cheesy mustard mash is the best!

That sounds like a knicker loosening recipe to me 

Or you could do dauphinoise, which is always good.

I'll see if I can think of anything else, it's unlikely though I'm being distracted quite badly by the thought of cheesy mustard mash.

Who are you cooking for? 

[dave]

best lamb shank recipe you'll ever taste. i shit you not.

Lamb Shanker.

seriously, after tasting this recipe you'll pretty much let him bum your mother in the mouth.

[butters]

Mash potatoes with celeriac and whole grain mustard in is a favourite of mine. Apparently substituting pumpkin for celeriac is also rather good but I haven't tried that one yet.

bluebrad 

[Will Hunt]

Am ashamed to say I've let the fine people at Asda take care of the shanks for me. Boil in the bag for 15 mins!
So far Bubba's suggestion is the winner as it should be pish to prepare. I have to finish my bloody essay beforehand so haven't got masses of time.

[Jaspersharpe]

I'm cooking to impress tomorrow

Asda . Boil in the bag

 

Good luck with it anyway Will.

[Will Hunt]

I know I know! But they look damn fine in the picture on the box. 
I reckon it will go well. Nobody needs see where the shanks emerge from.

[tlr]

Lets face it, her mind will be made up long before you get your lamb shank out. 

And anyway, its best to start low I find, if you raise the bar too high early on then you set her up for some grave disappointments in the future, or you make a serious rod for your own back in the future.

Good luck.

[SA Chris]

Asda . Boil in the bag

 

Good luck with it anyway Will.

I think by the usual student standards that's a feast! Get some fresh green bits for garnish, makes anything look better.

[Will Hunt]

Lets face it, her mind will be made up long before you get your lamb shank out. 

Some shocking insinuations going on in this thread. How dare you!

[magpie]

 

tlr is clearly a romantic, look, the smilies cuddle afterwards 

[Paul B]

and you as per usual drag the topic gutterwards 

[fatdoc]

Mash potatoes with celeriac and whole grain mustard in is a favourite of mine. Apparently substituting pumpkin for celeriac is also rather good but I haven't tried that one yet.

bluebrad 

This IMO is the best option here... coz the shanks arnt gonna be the slow cooked packed full of flavour epic they should be.. unless boil in the bag has come on more than a bit....

so you need a va vav voom potatoe hit... and this would be it!

[Will Hunt]

Can anyone give me a detailed run down of how to do the mustard spuds?

[Graeme78]

Basically what you do is boil your spuds, sorry, mash 'em and add mustard to taste.

[slackline]

Can anyone give me a detailed run down of how to do the mustard spuds?

  Come on Will it doesn't require a genius.  I've never made mustard spuds before but I'd imagine its along the lines of....

• Peel taties (optional, could clean well and leave the skins on for a bit more substance to the mash, personal preference really).  If they're large cut them up into roughly golfball sized pieces as this will expediate the cooking and ensure they are all cooked to the same extent at the same time
• Get a large pan
• Fill it with water from the tap
• Place the potatoes in the pan of water with a sprinkling of salt
• Place the pan on an approriate sized hob on the cooker
• Turn the hob on
• Boil the potatoes until they are cooked and soft.  Test this by piercing a potatoe with a sharp knife and lifting out of the water, if the potatoes are cooked they will slide off the knife as you lift them.  This will probably take ~20mins
• Drain the tatties
• Return to the pan and mash with a good dollop of mustard, choose from English, French, Dijon (amount varies on personal preference and tolerance to mustard).  Optionally add a knob of butter, and if you want creamier mash add a little milk (gradually otherwise you'll add too much and ruin them)

I'm sure others will have variations to their own preference.

Failing that