Tagine Of Lamb Shanks

• 4 lamb shanks
• 50 g butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 1 heaped teaspoon each of cumin, freshly-ground black pepper, coriander and ginger powder better to grind your own, and I'm sure you'll agree when your nose
• gets a whiff of that glorious aroma!)
• 1 small red chilli, de-seeded and chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick or a heaped teaspoon of powdered cinnamon
• Few strands of saffron soaked in the juice of a lemmon
• 1 x 400 g can of crushed tomatoes
• 25 pitted prunes (or dried apricots) chopped
• 500 ml chicken stock or water
• 4 baby potatoes peeled and cut in halves
• 1 bunch baby carrots

1. Heat the butter in a large, heavy saucepan or casserole. Place the lamb shanks into the pan and brown on all sides (I just sprinkled with a little plain flour first). Remove. Add the onions and garlic and lightly saute until translucent. Add spices, chilli, cinnamon stick and lemon (with saffron). Stir well and cook for a further minute. Add crushed tomatoes, chopped dates and stock (or water), bring to the boil simmer 10 minutes. This is when you can salt the sauce a little if you like, only a little, because the salt flavour will intensify.
2. Place the lamb shanks into a casserole of oven-proof dish with a firm fitting lid. Pour the sauce over top and ensure the lid is well sealed. Bake at 180C for one hour, then take off the lid and sprinkle in the potatoes and carrots. Replace the lid and back a further 1 1/2 to 2 hours. It's read when the lamb is very tender (but not dry).
3. Serve sprinkled with coriander and shaved almonds,

lamb shanks, butter, onions, cumin, gets a whiff, red chilli, garlic, cinnamon, saffron, tomatoes, prunes, potatoes, baby carrots

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/member/views/tagine-of-lamb-shanks-50148345 (may not work)