Serves 2

• 2 tbsp nut oil
• 2 lamb shanks
• 1 onion, halved and sliced
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilli, deseeded, half sliced and half chopped
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
• 2 star anise
• 1 lemongrass stalk, outer leaves removed
• 500 ml lamb stock
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 tbsp corn flour
• Handful mint leaves
• Handful basil leaves

1. Heat the oven to 140C.
2. In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and sear the lamb shanks on both sides, then transfer them to an ovenproof dish.
3. In the pan, add the rest of the oil and onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add ginger, garlic, and chopped chilli and turn heat down. Cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the sugar, star anise, lemongrass, stock and tomato puree and bring to the boil.
5. Pour over the lamb shanks and cover with foil. Cook in the oven for 2 hours, then add sweet potatoes and cook for 1 hour more.
6. Remove from the oven, transfer the shanks to a plate and cover with foil to keep hot.
7. Transfer the gravy to a saucepan and add the fish sauce, limejuice and corn flour (mixed with a little water)
8. Bring to the boil and it should thicken.
9. Place the shanks on the plates and cover with the gravy. Sprinkle over the sliced chilli, basil and mint leaves. Serve with rice.

The smell of this was torturous!!

It is delicious and great for dinner parties as it cooks for a long time, leaving you time to prepare desserts.

Easily doubled.