Yield: Dinner for 4

Ingredients

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 lamb shanks
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 onions, peeled and chopped
1 litre apple cider
2 cups raisins
1 tablespoon cinnamon
4 bay leaves
2 crisp apples, cored and chunked
Salt and Pepper
1 rib celery, sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 apple, cored and chunked

Procedure

Heat a heavy bottomed stew pot over medium high heat and add oil. When it begins to smoke, add lamb shanks and brown until they are a deep golden colour on all sides. Remove from pan and rest on a plate.

Drain excess fat from pot, then return the shanks to the pot. Add carrots, celery, onions, apple cider, raisins, cinnamon, bay leaves, and the apples. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and braise for 1.5 to 2 hours, until meat is very tender and almost falling off the bone. Add sliced celery, carrot and apple during the last 15 minutes of cooking.