SLOW BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH TOMATO & HONEY

There's something deeply satisfying about slow cooked lamb. This dish brings together rich lamb shanks, warm spices, tomato, chilli and a touch of honey for balance. Cooked gently in a tagine, the onions melt into the sauce and create a thick, glossy base without needing flour.

Perfect for a slow weekend and ideally served with cous cous, creamy mashed potato, or your favourite bread to soak up the sauce.

Serves: 4

Time: 4 hours

INGREDIENTS

4 lamb shanks

2 brown onions (thinly sliced)

1 red capsicum (chopped)

1 yellow capsicum (chopped)

1 green capsicum (chopped)

4 garlic cloves (finely chopped)

2 red chillies (finely chopped) *deseeded if you prefer

400 g tin chopped tomatoes

3 tbsp raw honey

300 - 400 ml red wine (full bodied, such as Shiraz)

1 tbsp cumin seeds (toasted and ground)

1 tbsp coriander seeds (toasted and ground)

2 tbsp olive oil

Salt to taste

Chopped, fresh coriander for garnish

METHOD

Trim the lamb shanks if required - we used hind shanks. Place the lamb shanks in a container with capsicum, and garlic. Pour over the wine and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Dry toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a pan for 2 - 3 minutes until aromatic, then grind to a rough powder.

Remove the shanks from the marinade and pat dry. Heat your frying pan and toss the shanks in olive oil, and lightly season, then brown the shanks well on all sides. Set aside.

In the tagine, cook the sliced onions slowly with some olive oil and salt until soft and beginning to caramelise. Usually about 15-20 minutes. Drain the capsicum and garlic form the marinade (reserve the liquid), and add to the tagine with the chilli, and cook for a further 5-10 min to soften. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes longer.

Build the sauce by adding the chopped tomatoes, honey and about 300 - 400 ml of the reserved marinade liquid and stir gently. Nestle the lamb shanks into the sauce. The liquid should come about one third to halfway up the meat. Cover and cook very gently (do not biol the sauce) for 2½ - 3 hours until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone. Turn the shanks once during cooking. We suggest using a heat diffuser, you want to cook your shanks at a very gentle simmer.

When the meat is falling away from the bone, remove the shanks and allow them to rest. If your sauce needs thickening, remove the lid and increase the heat and simmer until it reaches the desired consistency. 

Serve topped with fresh coriander.

Slow food done properly is always worth the wait.