Ever wanted to cram a whole roast dinner in your mouth? Well now you can – with Momma’s Roast Balls.

Slow cooked, hand pulled tender pieces of lamb shank, combined with lightly seasoned mash and injected with a pea and asparagus mousse – drizzled with home-made gravy, this ball is a roast dinner all in one delectable bite sized mouthful.

The Lamb…

1 yellow onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2 cups chicken stock

2 Tbs. tomato paste

1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

4 lamb shanks

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 cup red wine

Directions:

Put the onion, garlic, stock, tomato paste, thyme and bay leaf in a slow cooker and stir to combine. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil until nearly smoking. Add the shanks and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer to the slow cooker.  Add the wine to the slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 6 hours.

The Mash…

1 egg, lightly beaten

3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup chopped green onions

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

The Mousse…

1 tbsp mild olive oil , plus extra

300g shelled garden peas , about 900g/2lbs in ther pods

200g green asparagus tips

2 leaves of gelatine or 2 tsp or powdered gelatine

4 tbsp dry white wine or lemon juice

142ml carton double cream

½ tsp chopped fresh tarragon

Put the asparagus and the cooked peas in a food processor and whizz to a fluffy purée. Soften the gelatine in the wine or lemon juice in a small pan for 5 minutes, then put over a low heat until the gelatine is dissolved, stirring occasionally. Whisk the cream with the tarragon until it is thick but still glossy. Stir the gelatine into the purée and fold in the cream with plenty of salt and pepper.

Combine lamb and mash mixture, flash fry balls then inject  the mousse.