This is Fleurieu Peninsula food in a single pot. We take beautiful lamb shanks, rub them in roasted wattleseed and pepperberry, sear them hard, then braise them low and slow in McLaren Vale Shiraz with a proper Italian soffritto, rosella jam, sun-dried tomatoes, and local olives.
The native spices don’t fight the Italian technique – they deepen it. Wattleseed brings nutty, coffee-chocolate warmth that sits right alongside the dark fruit of the Shiraz. Pepperberry adds a gentle, fruity heat that’s more interesting than black pepper alone. And at the finish, a lemon myrtle gremolata ties the whole story together – bright, aromatic, and unmistakably Australian.
This is what happens when Indigenous botanicals meet Nonna’s kitchen in wine country.
Fleurieu Lamb Shanks with Rosella Jam and Native Spice Rub
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 McLaren Vale 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 McLaren Vale 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
Serving Suggestions
Serve each shank in a wide, warmed bowl with a generous pool of reduced braising sauce. The lemon myrtle gremolata goes on last, right before it hits the table, so those bright flavours stay fresh.
For sides, keep things simple and let the shanks be the star. Creamy soft polenta is the classic pairing – it soaks up the sauce beautifully. Cook it slowly with stock and finish with butter and parmesan. Olive oil mashed potato works just as well, and a Fleurieu Peninsula olive oil adds another layer of local character. Crusty sourdough for mopping up the sauce is never wrong. Braised winter greens (cavolo nero or silverbeet) sauteed with garlic and a squeeze of lemon add a fresh, slightly bitter contrast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Wattleseed is a roasted, ground seed from Australian Acacia species. It has a nutty, coffee-chocolate flavour and is used as a spice in Australian cooking. A native spice pack for this recipe (wattleseed, pepperberry, and lemon myrtle) is available on fleurieufoodandwine.com.au. You can also find native spices at Adelaide Central Market or Willunga Farmers Market on the Fleurieu Peninsula. Look for packets labelled “roasted ground wattleseed” or “wattleseed flour.” Store in an airtight container away from light.
You can, but the dish will taste different. For wattleseed, substitute 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder for a similar nutty-bitter depth. For pepperberry, use 1.5 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper with a pinch of allspice. For lemon myrtle in the gremolata, use the zest of one lemon and one lime combined. The native spices are what make this recipe uniquely Australian, so we recommend sourcing them if you can.
Use a full-bodied Shiraz you would enjoy drinking. We use a good McLaren Vale Shiraz – it brings dark fruit, spice, and structure that cooking wine cannot deliver. Something in the $15-20 range makes a real difference to the finished sauce. Avoid anything labelled “cooking wine” as it contains salt and preservatives that affect the flavour.
Lamb shanks take 2.5 to 3 hours to braise in the oven at 160°C fan-forced (180°C conventional), plus about 35 minutes of preparation and searing beforehand. Total time from start to plate is roughly 3 hours and 50 minutes. The long, slow cook is essential – lamb shanks contain collagen that needs gentle heat and time to convert into gelatin, which creates the silky, luscious texture.
Yes, and they are even better made a day ahead. The native spices integrate further overnight – the wattleseed mellows into the sauce and the pepperberry warmth becomes more rounded. Cool the pot completely, refrigerate overnight, then lift off any solidified fat from the surface and reheat gently on the stovetop or in a 160°C oven for 30-40 minutes until heated through.
Rosella jam is made from the fruit of the native Australian rosella plant (Hibiscus sabdariffa), sometimes called wild hibiscus. It has a gorgeous tart-sweet fruitiness similar to cranberry or rhubarb. In this recipe it rounds out the richness of the braise with a bright acidity. If you cannot find rosella jam, substitute 1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly and 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar for a similar sweet-acid balance.
Love Australian native spices? Join one of our hands-on cooking classes on the Fleurieu Peninsula and learn these techniques in person. Or join the Fleurieu Cooking Club for class recaps, recipes, and a community of food lovers.