Ingredients:
6                         Lamb shanks, trimmed
1 cup                  Canola oil
To season           Salt and pepper
2 stalks               Celery, chopped roughly
2                         Onions, chopped roughly
1 can ( 10 oz)     Tomato juice
10 cloves            Garlic
4 Tbsp                Cumin seeds
3 Tbsp                Coriander seeds
3 Tbsp                Cardamom pods
2 tsp                  Whole Cloves
1 – 100 oz can    diced tomatoes
2 cups                Water
1/3 cup               Game stock
1 1/2 Tbsp          Salt
1 Tbsp                Black pepper
1/4 cup               minced basil

Method:
Heat oil in a large heavy bottomed pan until smoking. Sear lamb on all sides and season with salt and pepper. Remove lamb from pan and add celery & onion. Fry until the vegetables soften; add the spices. Fry until the seeds start to hop; add the tomatoes, garlic, water and game stock and bring to a boil.  Return the lamb to the liquid and cover. Braise in the oven at 300(F) for 2 1/2 – 3 hours. Remove lamb and strain the jus. Reduce by half and add salt, pepper and basil. Serves 6.

Suggested Presentation:
Pipe champ (creamy mashed potatoes with chopped scallions) on one side of dinner plate. Lay shank at an angle against champ. Arrange freshly roasted winter vegetables around rest of plate. Pour a bit of au jus over shank with a sprig of fresh thyme to garnish.