Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onions for a couple of minutes, then add the dry spices and stir well.

Pop in the lamb shanks and brown on all sides, then fold the spice and onion mixture over them.

Season with salt and pepper, then add the bay leaves, thyme, chopped tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, and balsamic vinegar. Pour in just enough water to cover the meat. Stir well to combine then bring to the boil.

Now – you can either a) turn the heat down and simmer it in the saucepan or b) do what I did and transfer it to a tagine and pop it in the oven for the requisite cooking time. I much prefer to cook these sort of recipes in a tagine if possible.

Regardless of which way you do it the dish needs to cook for two hours initially. If you’re cooking it on the hob in a saucepan then turn the heat down to a medium low, pop a lid on and stir every half hour or so to ensure that it doesn’t stick. If cooking in the oven then you probably only need to stir it once.

After two hours, add the black (roasted) garlic, stirring it well into the sauce. Add a little more water if necessary and cook for a further hour.

Delicious. The tomatoes, spices and onions form a rich, thick sauce and the long cooking time means that the meat just falls off the bone.