to add ribena to the lamb shank casserole.

[littleowl14]

It all looked so lovely and rich, as did the ribena.

plus I'm fighting tonsillitis and this is an on the mend lamb fest

[justmyview]

Bleurgh, I think that sounds a weird combination, but each to his own. Are you Heston Blumenthal?

[phantomnamechanger]

OP - is your name Letitia Cropley? "I didn't have any butternut squash so I just used orange squash instead"

[littleowl14]

it was just a shot, red jelly sprang into my mind just before I did it.

couldn't be arsed to fry the onions mind...

[littleowl14]

there's half a bottle of merlot (dh didn't realise it was for cooking when he got it) and tomato paste plus veggies too. just a dash of blackcurrants adding to the mix?

[littleowl14]

lol phantom (no idea who that is though )

[agedknees]

Let us know how it turned out please (says she who once added tuna to bolognese sauce marinating mince in the slow cooker)!!

[littleowl14]

oooh yum! (how did tha t turn out?)

[agedknees]

We had a Chinese takeaway that night.

[800threadcount]

Ohhh I wouldn't.... I just wouldn't. visions of lovely lush casserole getting chucked Throw in a can of tomatoes and some brown sugar instead.

[littleowl14]

well it's too late, but is it really unreasonable not to think ribena might be nice? in that way that adding prunes or apricots to casseroles make a yummy extra yum? (other black currant cordial brands are available)

[phantomnamechanger]

Letitia Cropley is an elderly parishioner from 'The Vicar of Dibley' - who improvises in her cooking - victoria sponge with branston pickle topping anyone?

[Balaboosta]

Nigella famously cooks ham in coca cola. I think it's an interesting idea.

[phantomnamechanger]

joking aside, unless you put too much in I think it will be fine- lamb and redcurrant is a traditional match - as is pork and apple, duck and orange.....& I do a mean chicken and apricot curry

[800threadcount]

I suppose this is how innovation comes about..... :-) Hope it's yummy (starving now!)

[Blu]

Yes, but the ham is v salty, whereas lamb is sweet and rich.

Fruitiness of blackcurrants - fine
Extreme sweetness of Ribena - less so.

I'm sure a dash will be fine. Add salt and a small splash of balsamic vinegar if it tastes too sweet after cooking.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

Redcurrant jelly is not really sweet though. However this is coming from someone who thinks lamb and apricots or duck and orange or pork and apple are all grim, so it sounds truly awful to me.

[AwfulMaureen]

Ham is salty which is why it works with coke...they're opposites. Lamb is mellow and almost sweet which is why it's most often cooked with quite tangy herbs....

[Gossipyfishwife]

Ok I need to know. Does the lamb/ribena combination work?

[littleowl14]

bloody gorgeous

-pats over full tummy-

it really wasn't much so I've just added a little more to a ladle of the gravy (made double) to taste test - definitely gorg.

in my now expert opinion blackcurrants would vastly improve a lambshank casserole (ribena in the absence of black currents)....

wonder if blueberries work?

AND the first time I'm bloody painkiller free for 3 effing weeks with this sodding throat infection

[Chelvis]

God no. I had to remortgage recently to buy a leg of lamb. Far too expensive to experiment with!

[littleowl14]

*currants

[Chelvis]

Oh, cross posted. Glad it worked!

[PPPpickUPaPenguin]

Good to know, glad it was nice.

[PorkPieandPickle]

I have used ribena in lamb casserole it's a lovely combo :)

[littleowl14]

I'm living dangerously due to several weeks of delirium and pain And dh kindly bought them instead of a meal out tomorrow. (makes a change to last year's mother's day when he ranted at me over the 4 month sleep regression and completely forgot it was mother's day)