Lamb shanks and accompaniments...

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I am hosting fathers day this year. My dad loves lamb shanks but is a man of simple tastes.

I am looking for all of your tried and tested relatively simple lamb shank recipes and sides.
I basically want an amazing roast lunch but I am stumped

I will probably do the lamb in a slow cooker

Thank you

Nigel Slater does a lamb shank recipe accompanied by mashed potato with some wholegrain mustard stirred in, that my difficult father loves.

Another vote for Nige's mashed potato with wholegrain mustard. If you want a green vegetable keep it simple, fresh peas, or baby carrots. I like redcurrant jelly with lamb as a condiment or added to the gravy.

Mash or boiled new potatoes with either/ both green beans & carrots. I like mint gravy with mine!

Brown your lamb and put into a large casserole or roasting tray. Fill the dish with carrot, parsnips, swede, leek, garlic, celery, potatoes. Water with wine or brandy. A tin of canellini beans, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on 140 degrees for about 3 hours. You need plenty of juice in the pan at the end.

Remove and debone the shanks. Remove a couple of ladles of vegetables and liquid and whizz them in a blender. Stir purée back into the meat and vegetables as your gravy.
Serve with a green salad.

Bake shanks until they are just done. Remove to a roasting pan and pour over your best tomato and vegetable sauce. This can be done ahead.

Reheat and flash under the grill just before serving. Serve one shank whole per person with your favourite green and carb.

Thank you for the replies

Still undecided. Arhhh

Best place to buy lamb shanks? I dont eat lamb so I'm a total novice.

I buy mine from the butcher. I sizzle them first, then add stock, fried off onions and garlic and some rosemary. I serve with roast potatoes, mashed potatoes, carrots, peas and greens, with lashings of mint sauce.

Because I am a greedy pig I would serve potato dauphinoise with the shanks. It's very rich but absolutely delicious. I would also serve either broccoli or green beans with almonds as an accompaniment.

The basic lesson with shanks is to make sure they fall off the bone. Any flavour will be fab but you really should cook for 3 hours plus. It doesn't matter where you buy them from. Tesco / Sainsbury.... wherever. So lots of stock. Garlic, celery, onion, etc. Or you you can have a spicier stock. But cook for hours!

Hopefully not too late for you but Nigella's lamb shanks with dates and pomegranate molasses are DELICIOUS. I've also done it with lamb shoulder when I couldn't get shanks. Or Jamie Oliver Guinness lamb shanks.