Lamb Shank Mac and Cheese

A cheesy, gooey mac and cheese with shredded lamb amps up a classic and provides good, old-fashioned comfort with every bite!

Ingredients:

• 4 lamb shanks
• ¼ cup (60 ml) canola oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) chopped rosemary
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) paprika
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) onion powder
• Salt
• 1 cup (240 ml) white wine
• 4 cups (950 ml) corn kernels
• 5 tablespoons (75 ml) butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (350 ml) elbow macaroni
• 8 ounces (227 g) oyster mushroom, torn
• ½ onion, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) chopped thyme
• 2 cups (470 ml) vegetable stock
• ¾ cup (180 ml) grated pecorino
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped parsley
• ½ lemon, juice

Method:

• Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Place a Dutch oven or oven-safe pot over medium-high heat.
• Rub the lamb shanks with the oil, half the garlic, rosemary, paprika, and onion powder. Season with salt and sear the shanks in the Dutch oven on all sides until nicely browned, roughly 2 minutes per side.
• Add the wine, cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Allow the lamb to cook until fork-tender, roughly 2 hours, flipping the shanks after the first hour.
• Uncover the pot, raise the oven temperature to 375 F (190 C) and continue cooking until a crust has formed on the lamb, 20-30 minutes more.
• Remove the lamb from the oven and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Meanwhile, increase the oven temperature to 400 F (205 C).
• Spread the corn kernels on a baking sheet and mix with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the butter. Season with salt and roast until toasty and golden, 10-12 minutes.
• Remove the corn from the oven and set aside.
• Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook until just approaching al dente, about 5 minutes.
• Drain the macaroni in a colander and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• In a bowl, toss the mushrooms with the onion, the remaining garlic, thyme, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the butter. Season with salt, spread on a baking sheet and roast until browned and no liquid is left on the sheet, roughly 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, shred the meat off the lamb shanks and reserve.
• In a sauté pan over medium heat, warm the corn kernels and vegetable stock. Add the mushrooms and shredded lamb, bring to a simmer, and allow the liquid to reduce by half, about 8 minutes.
• Add the macaroni and toss well to combine. Bring the mixture back to a simmer, stirring and tossing occasionally until the liquid is thickened and glossy, 4-5 minutes more.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter, pecorino, and parsley.
• Transfer the mac and cheese to a serving dish, spritz with lemon juice and serve immediately.