Deconstructed dish: Marlene van der Westhuizen’s Lamb Shank Moussaka

Just in time to add cheer to chilly winter evenings, Marlene Van der Westhuizen’s Lamb Shank Moussaka from her new cookbook, Plate, steps it up a little – it’s perfect for a special occasion or entertaining friends.

“Here I take a well-loved recipe and deconstruct it,” she says. Try not to read her recipe in public, lest your mouth water overmuch, leading those around you to wonder if they should summon a medic.

 Ingredients

For 8

• 350ml good olive oil


• 75ml butter


• 8 lamb shanks


• 500 ml dry white wine


• 1 bouquet garni (include a generous quantity of fresh thyme and origanum)


• 6 leeks, sliced into circles


• 1 litre meat stock


• 2 medium brown onions, finely chopped


• 12 cloves garlic


• 500g small ripe tomatoes


• 7.5ml brown sugar


• 45ml dried origanum


• 2 sticks cinnamon


• 2.5ml grated nutmeg


• salt and white pepper to taste


• 2 large, shiny aubergines


• 50g cake flour


• 50ml cream


• 5 sprigs fresh origanum, chopped

Instructions

Heat 150ml of the olive oil and 15ml of the butter in a large casserole and lightly brown the lamb shanks. Pour in the wine and simmer until the alcohol in the wine has evaporated. Add the bouquet garni, leeks and stock. Cover and cook the shanks for about two hours until they are completely tender. Remove the shanks from the casserole with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Reserve the meaty stock.

Fry the chopped onions in 15ml butter in a pan until soft and translucent. Add the garlic, tomatoes, sugar, origanum, cinnamon and nutmeg, then simmer over a very low heat for at least two hours until the sauce has reduced to a thick, almost creamy consistency. Season lightly and set aside.

Cut the aubergines vertically into thick generous slices. Use a large, shallow saucepan and add just a little water and the remaining olive oil. Add the aubergine slices to the pan, cover and bring to a gentle boil. Cook until all the water has evaporated. Leave the aubergines to fry in the remaining oil until nicely browned. It isn’t necessary to turn them.

To prepare a velouté (roux), melt the remaining butter in a small saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and ladle a spoon of hearty, meaty stock from the lamb shank casserole dish into the roux. Keep stirring and keep on spooning stock from the casserole dish until you have a deliciously rich and creamy sauce. It is at this point, just to hedge my bets, that I always add a little cream! Taste and season lightly.

To serve, transfer the tender lamb shanks onto a large platter. Spoon the tomato sauce over the meat. Arrange the aubergine slices over the tomato sauce, which is covering the shanks. Ladle the creamy velouté over the aubergine, garnish with a little chopped origanum and serve immediately with white rice. ML

Marlene van der Westhuizen is a trained chef and the author of seven cookbooks (the last four available in Afrikaans). Based in Cape Town and France, Marlene is known for her cookery classes as well as culinary tours to France. The recipes in Plate/Bord range from well-known classics – adding some inspiration to your daily dinners – to modern dishes with a Continental twist.

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