Shanks

For this recipe I haven't dusted the shanks in seasoned flour and herbs and I didn't add any tomato to the braising liquid. With no tomato the shanks seemed less 'heavy' and without dusting the shanks I saved heaps of time.

3 lamb shanks
1 sprig rosemary, 1/2 stripped 1/2 finely chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
1 onion thinly sliced
8 mushrooms quartered
8 slices dried porcini mushroom finely chopped
2 carrots in small dice
8 silverbeet leaves deveined and shredded
1/4 cup port
1/2 bottle red wine
500 ml stock
1 handful fresh basil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Some great mashed potato

Heat olive oil to medium high in a deep, wide, heavy based saucepan add the stripped rosemary and sear the shanks on all sides then set aside. Add onion, garlic, remaining rosemary and mushrooms to the pan and cook until fragrant and the mushrooms have a little colour. Add more oil if necessary.
Deglaze the pan with port and when almost evaporated add the wine and allow the alcohol smell to cook out. Add the carrot, porcini mushroom and stock then place the shanks on top, add the lid and place into a pre-heated (150C) oven for three hours. Remove the lid, baste and continue cooking for a a further ten minutes. Remove the shanks from  the pan and set aside in a warm place.
Place the saucepan on the stove top over a medium heat and add the silverbeet. While the silverbeet cooks blend the basil and extra virgin olive oil.
Serve the shanks on top of the sauce, mash to the side and top with the basil oil.