Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 4 tablespoons olive or rapeseed oil
  • 2 large lamb shanks ((roughly 500g / 1lb or 4 smaller ones))
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 medium onion (diced)
  • 1 medium carrot (diced)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (roughly chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (crushed or grated)
  • 150 ml red wine ((or lamb stock, if you prefer))
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 400 g tin borlotti beans (drained)
  • Mashed potato, rice or bread to serve (optional)
  • Green vegetables to serve (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons parsley for garnish (optional)

Instruction

  • Preheat your oven to 160C / 140C fan / gas mark 3 / 325F
  • Heat the oil in a large hob proof casserole dish, season the lamb and then brown the lamb on all sides in the hot pan.
  • Remove the lamb from the casserole dish and turn down the heat. Add the onion and carrot together with the cumin, smoked paprika, rosemary and garlic and cook over a gentle heat with the lid on for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  • Add the red wine and turn the heat up, allow the red wine to reduce slightly.
  • Add the tomatoes and the lamb shanks, lying the lamb shanks down on one side so they are half submerged in the sauce, and bring back to the boil. Cover and place in the preheated oven for 45minutes.
  • After 45 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven and carefully turn the lamb so it is lying on the other side, cover and put back in the oven for another 45 minutes.
  • After this further 45 minutes, remove the casserole from the oven, turn the lamb so it is now sitting with the bone sticking up, add the drained borlotti beans, cover and return the lamb to the oven for a final 30 minutes (a total of 2 hours in the oven).
  • During this final 30 minutes you can cook the accompaniments - I made mashed potatoes and green vegetables.
  • When the lamb has finished cooking, remove from the oven, scatter with parsley and serve with the accompaniments.