Festive Lamb Shanks

Lamb shanks used to be quite an inexpensive meal.

Perhaps not so now as they have grown in popularity.

Here's a nice way to make shanks into

a warming dish for the festive season.

I have used ginger, cinnamon and cloves

as these are festive spices.

If you don't like it too chilli hot

you can reduce the amount of chilli,

or even leave it out.

Ingredients:
30-50ml vegetable oil for frying
4 lamb shanks
2 white onions, finely chopped
10ml turmeric
5ml ground ginger
5ml ground cinnamon
10ml ground chillis or chilli flakes
6 whole cloves
2ml grated nutmeg
125ml raisins
100ml sherry
30ml honey
20ml light soy sauce
125ml red lentils
toasted almond flakes to garnish

Method:
Brown the shanks all over in a pan deep enough to cook them in. Remove them from the pan and set them aside.
In the same pan, braise the chopped onions until they are translucent.
Add the spices and mix with the braised onions. Cook on medium heat until the spices begin to release their aroma.
Soak the raisins in the sherry, warming them in the microwave for a minute to help them absorb the liquor.
Add the sherry and raisins, honey and soy sauce to the onion and spices and return the shanks to the pan. Baste them with the liquid in the pan, cooking for a minute or two.
Add enough boiling water to cover the shanks and return pan to the boil.
Reduce the heat, put a lid on the pan and simmer gently for about 90 minutes.
Test for seasoning and add salt if required.
Add the lentils and simmer without the lid on the pan until the lentils break down.
Serve with couscous and garnish with toasted almond flakes.