This is Fleurieu Peninsula comfort food at its most honest – one pan, no fuss, three hours in the oven. We rub lamb shanks in roasted wattleseed and pepperberry, pile everything into a baking dish with McLaren Vale Shiraz, rosella jam, and good tinned tomatoes, and let the oven do the work. The native spices mellow into the sauce over the long braise, the rosella adds a gorgeous tart-sweet fruitiness, and you’re left with something that’s deeply comforting and distinctly local. This is what happens when Indigenous botanicals meet Nonna’s kitchen in wine country.
Fleurieu Lamb Shanks with Rosella Jam and Native Spice Rub
Slow-braised lamb shanks rubbed in roasted wattleseed and pepperberry, braised in McLaren Vale Shiraz with rosella jam and good tinned tomatoes. One pan, three hours in the oven, no fuss. A Fleurieu Peninsula recipe celebrating where Indigenous botanicals meet Italian technique in McLaren Vale wine country.
Ingredients
!For the native spice rub
- 2 tablespoons roasted ground wattleseed
- 1 teaspoon ground pepperberry Tasmannia lanceolata
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
!For the lamb
- 4 lamb shanks roughly 350-400g each
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
!For the soffritto
- 1 large brown onion finely diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and finely diced
- 3 celery stalks finely diced
- 6 cloves garlic finely minced
!For the braise
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 500 ml Chapel Hill Shiraz
- 500 ml beef or lamb stock
- 400 g tin whole peeled tomatoes crushed by hand
- 30 g sun-dried tomatoes not oil-packed, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons rosella jam
- 80 g Kalamata olives pitted
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 strip orange zest about 8cm, no white pith
!For the lemon myrtle gremolata
- 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried lemon myrtle ground to a fine powder
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the ground wattleseed, pepperberry, sea salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Take the lamb out of the fridge 30-40 minutes before cooking. Pat the shanks thoroughly dry with paper towel, then rub the spice mix generously all over each shank, pressing it into the surface. Let the rubbed shanks sit for 10 minutes before searing so the spices adhere properly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole or Dutch oven over high heat. When the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke, add the shanks in batches (don’t crowd the pan). Sear for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden brown. The wattleseed toasts on contact, smelling nutty and almost like fresh coffee. Set the shanks aside on a plate.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low. Add the diced onion, carrot, and celery to the same pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the vegetables have completely softened and melted together into a sweet, jammy base. Add the garlic in the last 2 minutes and stir through until fragrant.
- Push the vegetables to the sides and add the tomato paste to the centre of the pot. Cook directly on the hot surface for 1-2 minutes, stirring into the vegetables. This caramelises the sugars in the paste and removes the raw, tinny flavour. You will notice it darkens a shade or two.
- Pour in the Chapel Hill Shiraz and scrape up all the caramelised bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let the wine reduce by one-third, roughly 5 minutes.
- Add the stock, crushed tinned tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, rosella jam, olives, rosemary, and orange zest. Stir to dissolve the rosella jam. Nestle the shanks back in. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and transfer to an oven at 160C fan-forced or 180C conventional. Braise for 2.5 to 3 hours, turning once halfway. The lamb is done when pulling away from the bone.
- Transfer shanks to a warm plate and cover with foil. Remove rosemary and orange zest. Simmer the sauce on stovetop for 10-15 minutes until glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Combine parsley, ground lemon myrtle, garlic, and olive oil in a small bowl. Use half a teaspoon of lemon myrtle as it is more potent than lemon zest. This garnish cuts through the richness of the braise.
- Return shanks to the sauce to warm through. Plate each shank in a wide, warmed bowl with a generous ladle of sauce. Scatter lemon myrtle gremolata over the top.
Notes
This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free as written. We use Thomas Farms lamb – the quality really shows in a long braise. A native spice pack for this recipe (wattleseed, pepperberry, and lemon myrtle) is available on fleurieufoodandwine.com.au. Wine pairing: McLaren Vale Shiraz – try Chapel Hill, Yangarra, Bekkers, d’Arenberg, or Hickinbotham. This dish is even better made a day ahead. Recipe by Fleurieu Food and Wine.
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