• 2 lamb shanks
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 onions, chopped coarsely
• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 large carrot, chopped in discs
• 1 celery, chopped coarsely
• 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
• 2 bay leaves, fresh or dry
• 2 sticks fresh rosemary
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon sweet basil fresh or dried
• 1 teaspoon organum
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 400 ml hot water
• 1,5 blocks chicken stock, dissolved in the water
• 250 ml red wine (I prefer a Merlo or if you like something with a sweetish taste then Late Harvest is perfect)

Heat the oil in a pot.
Add the onions and fry until brown and soft.
Add the celery and cook for 5 minutes then add the garlic. Cook for 5 min over low heat.
While the onions are cooking, fry the carrots in a separate pot for 10 min and add to the onion mixture.
Heat a heavy base pot with oil and seal the lamb shank until brown.
Mix the water, chicken stock, red wine, tomato paste and all dry spices but not the cumin.
Transfer the sealed lamb shanks to an oven tray and dish the onion mixture over the shanks.
Then on the back of the spoon add the water and wine mixture over the meat and try not to wag off the onion mixture off the shanks.
Cover the dish with foil and cook in the oven at 160ºC for 2 hours. Open and add the shallots.
If it seems a bit dry then add more water.
Cook for another hour until the shanks are soft and tender.
Serve with mash potatoes.

Recipe posted by Johan De V Swanepoel
Photo:  Johan De V Swanepoel