Are you thinking about a delicious food and wine combination for that special post-pandemic celebration, a chance to entertain and enjoy life once again?
Hill Family Estate Winery in Yountville, one of the best wineries in Napa Valley, is offering one of their professionally curated, delicious recipes to delight their customers, friends, and neighbors.
Paired with Hill Family Estate 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, local Chef Tim Gilday’s Braised Lamb Shanks and Risotto combination has captivated all who have tried it. Having worked professionally in locations from Maine to Hawaii and California to South America, Chef Gilday’s never-ending quest for new ideas and techniques has added substantially to his vast culinary knowledge.
Preparing the Braised Lamb Shanks
This recipe is not overly complicated to prepare, but it is fun to make and sure to delight. The flavorful combination of the lamb shanks and special risotto, served with Hill Family Estate’s 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon, will impress your friends and family.
Since the Braised Lamb Shanks require about three hours to prepare and cook, we recommend assembling the ingredients well in advance.
Ingredients: Lamb Shanks
2 tbsp olive oil
1 yellow onion, large dice
1 large carrot, large dice
1 leek, large dice
3-5 garlic cloves, minced
3 lamb shanks
1 cup+ red wine
2 quarts beef stock
1 tbsp salt
½ tbsp cracked pepper
½ tbsp herbs de Provence
Directions for Lamb Shanks
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. In a deep sauté pan or Dutch oven, add the oil and warm in the oven. Mix the herbs de Provence, salt and pepper together in a small bowl and rub the shanks with the spice mixture. Remove the braising pan from the oven and place on the stovetop on medium to medium-high heat. Sear the shanks in the warmed olive oil for a 2-3 minutes per side, until they are nice and browned. Remove the shanks from the pan and add the chopped onion, carrot, leek and garlic. There should be plenty of seasoning left in the pan from searing the shanks, but add a pinch of salt and pepper if needed. Stir the vegetables occasionally until translucent, then add the lamb back into the pan and deglaze with red wine. Allow the alcohol to simmer out of the wine and reduce for a few minutes. Add the beef stock and bring to a boil. The level of stock in the pan should just barely cover the meat. Place the pan in the oven and cover, leaving a little gap to allow steam to escape. Cook the shanks for 3 hours. They are ready when a toothpick slides in and out of the meat without resistance.
Preparing the Risotto
While the Braised Lamb Shanks make an excellent centerpiece for dinner, Gilday’s special Risotto is an ideal and delicious side complement.
Ingredients: Risotto
1 tbsp olive oil
½ tbsp butter
1 cup Arborio rice (Il Riso Beretta is my favorite)
1/2 yellow onion, small dice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 package (5-8 ounces) Hen of the Woods mushrooms, pulled apart (do not keep the base of the stems and roots)
½ cup white wine
1 quart chicken stock
2 tsp salt
Pepper (to taste)
1 pinch herbs de Provence
¼ cup heavy cream
¼ cup grated parmesan
1 cup broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
Directions for Risotto
In a medium Dutch oven or deep pan, warm the olive oil and butter. Add the diced onions, garlic, mushrooms, herbs de Provence, salt and pepper. Sauté until the onions are translucent, then add the rice, lightly toasting for a minute or two. Deglaze the pan with white wine and let the rice absorb it. Once the pan is almost dry, add two thirds of the stock and let simmer. Stir the rice occasionally and keep an eye of the level of stock in the pan. When it gets low (approximately 20 minutes), add a little more stock and stir. When the rice has almost finished cooking (continue adding stock as needed), add the cream and parmesan, adding the broccoli florets once the cheese is incorporated. Taste the rice often and shut the heat off just before the rice loses its texture; you want to be able to taste the individual grains wrapped in a creamy texture, not too runny and not too sticky.
This unique risotto recipe is the perfect complement to the lamb and other main courses. Should you choose to enjoy the risotto by itself, or perhaps with another side, the Stewart Ranch Pinot Noir by Hill Family Estate, one of the most respected Napa wineries, is the perfect complement.
Visit Hill Family Estate
The weather and outlook continues to improve throughout Napa Valley.
Hill Family Estate, the best winery to visit in Napa Valley, is welcoming friends and members to return to one of the best wineries to visit in Napa Valley to enjoy the spectacular scenery, food, and, of course, the excellent wines. Although our family patriarch, Doug Hill, has been managing vineyards throughout Napa Valley and elsewhere for over four decades, the Hill Family has achieved high recognition and numerous wine production awards since they began in 2001.
Now exercising an abundance of caution, the Hill Family Estate Winery, like other prominent Napa wineries, requests that guests make their reservations for winetasting well in advance. Also, note that guests will still be required to socially distance and wear masks as they move about the winery property.