Dinner Deluxe

What better way to celebrate the end of the year than with big hearty trays and plates of nourishing food to share? These dishes may be indulgent, but they’re healthy too, we promise!

- Amy Hopkins

Braised lamb shanks

NOTE If you have more time, make this dish the day before and simply switch the oven off and leave the lamb inside to cook slowly in the residual heat and break down even more overnight.

4 to 6 lamb shanks

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp cumin

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

2 carrots, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped

10 to 12 whole baby onions, peeled

1 tbsp red-wine vinegar

1½ cups dry white wine

Fresh rosemary sprigs

Fresh thyme sprigs

A few bay leaves

8 cloves garlic, skin on

3 cups chicken stock

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Dust the lamb shanks with the spices and seasoning and brown the meat in a large oven-proof dish in a little olive oil on the stove. Remove the shanks and set aside.

2. Add a splash more oil to the pan and sauté the carrots, celery and baby onions.

3. Add the vinegar and stir to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the dish. Add the white wine.

4. Tie the herbs together with string and add to the pan.

5. Place the lamb shanks back into the pan, add the garlic cloves and pour in the chicken stock.

6. Place the dish in the oven and cook for two hours, covered. (After an hour, turn the lamb and keep an eye on the liquid – add more stock if necessary).