What's For Dinner? - Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

This dish is is great, it really hearty food, full of flavour, and they way the meat is cooked means it just is so tender and comes so easily off the bone. This recipe would serve 4. With this i would serve mashed potato or the spinach and mustard mash.

Spiced Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks

4 Lamb Shanks

1 Tsp Coriander Seeds

1 Small Dried Red Chilli / 2 Tsps Fresh Chilli

 1 Tbsp Fresh Rosemary

1 Tsp Marjoram / Oregano

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Clove Of Garlic, Finely Chopped

1 Large Carrot, Quartered And Finely Sliced

6 Sticks Of Celery, Quartered And Finely Sliced

2 Medium-Large Onions, Quartered And Finely Chopped

2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

170ml Dry White Wine

6 Anchovy Fillets

800g Tins Of Plum Tomatoes

1 Handful Of Fresh Basil, Marjoram, Flat Leaf Parsley Roughly Chopped

Method:

1. Season the lamb with the sea salt and the black pepper.
2. Smash the coriander seeds and dried chilli and mix with the chopped rosemary and dried marjoram.
3. Roll the lamb in this mixture, pressing it in well.
4. Dust the lamb with flour.
5. Heat a casserole pan, add the oil, brown the meat on all sides then remove from the pan.
6. Add the garlic, carrot, celery, onions and a pinch of salt and sweat them until softened.
7. Add the balsamic vinegar and allow it to reduce to a syrup.
8. Pour in the white wine and allow to simmer for 2 mins.
9. Add the anchovies and then the tinned tomatoes, kept whole Shake the pan and return the lamb to it.
10. Bring to the boil, put on the lid and simmer in the oven at 180 degrees / gas mark 5 for 1 ½ hours, then remove the lid and cook for a further half hour.
11. Skim off any fat and taste for seasoning.
12. Finally, stir in a handful or roughly chopped basil, marjoram and chopped flat leaf parsley.