Wide Noodles with Lamb Shank in Aromatic Broth
by Nigella. Featured in COOK EAT REPEATIntroduction
This recipe is a particularly special one for me: it gladdens my heart and infuses me with shoulder-lowering serenity. While it’s certainly easy to make — something you would never guess by the complexity of its taste — the lamb shank and broth do need to be made a day ahead (or up to 3 days) which means you do have to plan for it. And that planning may have to involve some shopping; for gochujang, that fermented Korean chilli paste that provides rich, rounded depth as well as heat, is the magic ingredient here. It is easy enough to find online, should you not be able to find it near you, and I promise you it will become an indispensable ingredient in your kitchen before long. (Let me quickly point you in the direction of my Korean Calamari and Korean Keema).
Until I make my own biang biang noodles, I use durum wheat pappardelle for this. Try to avoid egg pappardelle, which are not quite robust enough I feel. But if that’s all you can find, then I’d advise you (sorry) to cook them and the cabbage separately as they overcook very easily. This is bowlfood at its best: hearty, warming and yet shot through with a piercing clarity which is extraordinarily restorative. And while I’m not saying you absolutely must get a jar of Chilli Crisp oil to eat with it, I wouldn’t want to proceed without.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This recipe is a particularly special one for me: it gladdens my heart and infuses me with shoulder-lowering serenity. While it’s certainly easy to make — something you would never guess by the complexity of its taste — the lamb shank and broth do need to be made a day ahead (or up to 3 days) which means you do have to plan for it. And that planning may have to involve some shopping; for gochujang, that fermented Korean chilli paste that provides rich, rounded depth as well as heat, is the magic ingredient here. It is easy enough to find online, should you not be able to find it near you, and I promise you it will become an indispensable ingredient in your kitchen before long. (Let me quickly point you in the direction of my Korean Calamari and Korean Keema).
Until I make my own biang biang noodles, I use durum wheat pappardelle for this. Try to avoid egg pappardelle, which are not quite robust enough I feel. But if that’s all you can find, then I’d advise you (sorry) to cook them and the cabbage separately as they overcook very easily. This is bowlfood at its best: hearty, warming and yet shot through with a piercing clarity which is extraordinarily restorative. And while I’m not saying you absolutely must get a jar of Chilli Crisp oil to eat with it, I wouldn’t want to proceed without.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Serves: 2 lucky people
- 1 x 15ml tablespoon gochujang paste
- 2 teaspoons Maldon sea salt flakes (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 star anise
- 1 lamb shank
- 25 grams fresh ginger
- 1 carrot (approx. 125g / 4oz)
- 2 fat cloves of garlic
- 70 grams banana shallots or ½ an onion
- 200 grams savoy cabbage
- 175 grams pappardelle (not egg pappardelle) or other wide noodles
To serve
- Chilli Crisp oil
- 1 tablespoon gochujang paste
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt)
- 1 teaspoon allspice berries
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 star anise
- 1 lamb shank
- 1½ inches fresh gingerroot
- 1 carrot (approx. 125g / 4oz)
- 2 fat cloves of garlic
- 2 smallish or 1 large banana shallot or ½ an onion
- 8 ounces savoy cabbage
- 7 ounces pappardelle (not egg pappardelle) or other wide noodles
To serve
- Chilli Crisp oil
Method
- Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/300°F. Pour 1 litre / 4 cups of water into a small casserole with a tightly fitting lid (I use one of 20cm / 8inch diameter) and stir in the gochujang paste until dissolved, then add the salt, allspice, cumin seeds and star anise. Now add the lamb shank to the pot, and put over medium heat.
- Cut the ginger into coins and add to the pot as well, along with the carrot, peeled (if you want) and cut into four, the garlic cloves, bruised with the flat of a wide-bladed knife, and the shallots, cut in half, though there is no need to peel them. In fact, I don't bother to peel anything. Once everything's in the pan, the lamb shank should be just covered. If it isn't, add some more water.
- Once it's come to the boil, clamp on the lid and cook in the oven for 2-2½ hours, by which time the meat should be very tender indeed, and ready to fall off the bone.
- Using tongs, transfer the lamb shank to a large-ish bowl, then strain the liquid over it. Leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the solidified fat, and shred the meat — not too finely, you don't want stringiness — into a small saucepan, pouring over the liquid, and in another pan, large enough to take the pasta and cabbage, bring water to the boil.
- Shred the cabbage. When the water's come to the boil, add salt, and turn the heat on very low under the pan of lamb and its broth so that it warms gently, though you do want it to be piping hot by the time the pasta and cabbage are cooked.
- Add the pappardelle to the boiling salted water and when it's 3 minutes away from its full cooking time (check the packet for instructions) add the cabbage and stir well. When both cabbage and pasta are cooked, drain, then divide between two noodle bowls.
- Using a slotted spoon, lift out the hot lamb and share between the two bowls, then ladle the broth on top. If you have any of the crispy chilli oil add 1 teaspoon or so to each bowl, and take both bowls to the table, making sure you come back for the Chilli Crisp oil, so you can add more as you eat.
- Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C Fan/300°F. Pour 1 litre / 4 cups of water into a small casserole with a tightly fitting lid (I use one of 20cm / 8inch diameter) and stir in the gochujang paste until dissolved, then add the salt, allspice, cumin seeds and star anise. Now add the lamb shank to the pot, and put over medium heat.
- Cut the ginger into coins and add to the pot as well, along with the carrot, peeled (if you want) and cut into four, the garlic cloves, bruised with the flat of a wide-bladed knife, and the shallots, cut in half, though there is no need to peel them. In fact, I don't bother to peel anything. Once everything's in the pan, the lamb shank should be just covered. If it isn't, add some more water.
- Once it's come to the boil, clamp on the lid and cook in the oven for 2-2½ hours, by which time the meat should be very tender indeed, and ready to fall off the bone.
- Using tongs, transfer the lamb shank to a large-ish bowl, then strain the liquid over it. Leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, remove the solidified fat, and shred the meat — not too finely, you don't want stringiness — into a small saucepan, pouring over the liquid, and in another pan, large enough to take the pasta and cabbage, bring water to the boil.
- Shred the cabbage. When the water's come to the boil, add salt, and turn the heat on very low under the pan of lamb and its broth so that it warms gently, though you do want it to be piping hot by the time the pasta and cabbage are cooked.
- Add the pappardelle to the boiling salted water and when it's 3 minutes away from its full cooking time (check the packet for instructions) add the cabbage and stir well. When both cabbage and pasta are cooked, drain, then divide between two noodle bowls.
- Using a slotted spoon, lift out the hot lamb and share between the two bowls, then ladle the broth on top. If you have any of the crispy chilli oil add 1 teaspoon or so to each bowl, and take both bowls to the table, making sure you come back for the Chilli Crisp oil, so you can add more as you eat.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD:
Prepare lamb shank to end of step 4 up to 3 days ahead. Store lamb and broth together, covered, in fridge. Reheat as directed in recipe.
STORE:
Refrigerate leftovers and use within 24 hours. Heat in saucepan over medium heat, stirring, adding extra liquid if needed, until piping hot. Noodles will soften on reheating.
FREEZE:
Freeze lamb (fat removed and meat shredded) covered with broth in airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge.
MAKE AHEAD:
Prepare lamb shank to end of step 4 up to 3 days ahead. Store lamb and broth together, covered, in fridge. Reheat as directed in recipe.
STORE:
Refrigerate leftovers and use within 24 hours. Heat in saucepan over medium heat, stirring, adding extra liquid if needed, until piping hot. Noodles will soften on reheating.
FREEZE:
Freeze lamb (fat removed and meat shredded) covered with broth in airtight container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in fridge.
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What 3 Others have said
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Posted by mshmsh on 3rd November 2023
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Posted by PetrickM on 12th January 2023
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Posted by Rossbeigh on 10th March 2022
Show more commentsThis recipe is delicious. I made it and left it for two days in the fridge before skimming off the fat and reheating. I used udon noodles instead of the pappardelle and added a few sliced spring onions to the broth when I reheated it. I will definitely make this again.
This recipe was really satisfying! I had an unsmoked pork hock I pulled out of the freezer and was looking for a new way to prepare it. It's not lamb but I thought it would do. Lol...turns out the butcher mislabeled the package and I actually had a small pork shoulder roast. The broth still turned out heavenly and rich! I also added a small handful of thinly sliced mushrooms too (because I had them). I would definitely make this again. Delicious and adaptable :o)
What I love about this recipe is how light and fragrant it is. Most often, my experience with lamb shank has been with very hearty and heavy dishes. This is a real joy to make and eat.