Spiced lamb shanks

Ingredients

Marinade

• 30 ml olive oil
• ½ tsp fennel seeds, crushed
• ¼ tsp cumin
• ½ tsp sumac
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika

Lamb shanks

• 2 Lamb shanks
• ½ onion, sliced into wedges
• 50 ml red wine
• 60 ml beef stock
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• 6 cherry tomatoes, sliced
• 500g swedes, small cubes
• 400g wombok cabbage, finely sliced
• Dash of cream
• 1 tbs butter
• 20g pine nuts, toasted
• 2 spring onions, chopped
• 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 tbs fresh mint, chopped

Directions

1. Prepare the marinade by mixing together olive oil, garlic and spices in a small bowl. Season the lamb with salt and pepper, place in a bowl and pour the marinade over it. Marinade overnight in the fridge.
2. Preheat your oven to 170c. Place the shanks in a baking dish and drizzle with extra olive oil and cover the dish tightly with foil and bake for 2 hours.
3. Remove the shanks from the oven and add the onion, wine, stock and tomatoes to the dish. Cover with foil again and continue baking for an additional 2 hours.
4. Remove the shanks from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200c. Spoon some pan juices over the shanks and place back into the oven without the foil for about 10/15 minutes or until the shanks are nicely browned with a little char. Squeeze the lemon juice over the shanks.
5. In the meantime, toast the pine nuts in a dry small frying pan. Place in a small bowl and combine with the parsley, mint, lemon zest and spring onions.
6. Cook the swedes in a large saucepan for 20 minutes in salted water. Add the wombok and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Drain and return to the pan with butter, salt and some cream. Mash until desired consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning and stir through the herb mixture.
7. Plate and serve with the pan juices, onions and tomatoes.

Nutrition