Braised lamb shanks served with stewed dried fruit

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Ingredients (32)

Marinade

1 cup	white wine
2 tbsp	olive oil
1 medium	onion — peeled and finely chopped
2 medium	carrots — peeled and small diced
2	garlic cloves — finely chopped
1 medium	leek — washed and finely chopped
1 tsp	cumin seeds
1 tsp	coriander seeds
1	bouquet garni — (bay leaf, sprig thyme, sprigs parsley)

Lamb

1 kg	lamb shanks — about 500g each
2 tbsp	flour
2 tsp	salt
1 tsp	freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp	olive oil
1 large	onion — peeled and cut into chunks
2 large	carrots — peeled and cut into large chunks
2 stalks	celery — cut into chunks
1	leek — washed and thickly sliced
1	tin crushed tomatoes
2 cup	lamb stock — or chicken stock
2 sprigs	rosemary
2 sprigs	thyme
2 sprigs	parsley
1 tsp	black peppercorns

Stewed Fruit

2	Granny Smith apples
1 tbsp	butter
1/3 cup	orange juice
6	dried figs
6	dates — dried and pitted
6	dried apricots
2 tbsp	raisins — golden
1 cup	fresh mint — washed dried and finely shredded

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Method:

Made using a Vortex Air Fryer and Instant Pot Pro.

To make the marinade, mix the wine, oil, onion, carrots, garlic and leek together in a large, heavy ovenproof dish. Add the shank to the marinade, sprinkle with the cumin and coriander seeds, and toss to coat.

Add the bouquet garni and marinate shanks overnight.

Remove the shanks from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Transfer the shanks with tongs to a plate. Pat shanks dry. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together and roll the shanks in the seasoned flour.

Pour the marinade through a sieve set over a bowl and reserve the liquid, vegetables and bouquet garni.

Set the Instant Pot to sauté, on the high heat setting. Add the oil when it is hot and brown the shanks in two batches, turning the meat to brown on both sides for about 10 minutes. Set aside on a plate.

Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the Instant Pot and add the onion, carrots, celery and leek. Sauté for about 10 minutes, until the vegetables are brown and begin to soften, scraping loose the browned bits.

Add the reserved vegetables from the marinade to the Instant Pot and cook, stirring occasionally for 5–6 minutes.

Add the reserved marinade to the Instant Pot and deglaze, loosening the bits on the base. Add the bouquet garni, shanks, tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil. Add the rosemary, thyme and parsley. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Close the Instant Pot and move the vent up to the sealing position. Set the Instant Pot to pressure cook on high (turn off the keep warm function) and set it for 50 minutes. Once the cooking cycle is complete, allow the Natural Pressure Release (NPR) to take effect, which will take around 20 minutes. The pressure valve will drop down once it has released all the pressure.

Preheat the air fryer to 190°C on the roast setting. Remove the lamb shanks and place in an ovenproof container that will fit into the air fryer. Add the vegetables and remaining cooking liquid to the container, spreading it around the shanks. Cook for 20–30 minutes or until brown and crispy.

Serve with creamy samp and stewed dried fruit.

To make the stewed fruit:

While the shanks are braising, peel and core the apples and cut them into slices about 0.5cm thick. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the Instant Pot and cook the apples on the sauté setting for about 2 minutes. Add the orange juice and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add the dried figs, dates, apricots and raisins, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the shredded mint, mix with the fruit and serve separately with the lamb, vegetables, creamy samp and pistachio pesto.

Supported by the Red Meat Industry of SA.

Recipe developed by Gerrie Du Rand; Styling by Caro Alberts; Photography by Michelle Parkin Photography