Vietnamese lamb shanks with sweet potatoes

200 kcal or less 4 servings asian basil leaf basil leaves braised lamb shanks chilli fish sauce freezable groundnut oil lamb shank lamb shanks lamb stew lemon grass lemongrass mains make ahead mint over an hour red chilli red chillies root ginger slow-cook slow-cooked lamb shanks star anise sweet potato sweet potatoes tomato purée vietnamese

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Source

Ingredients

2 tbsp groundnut oil

4 lamb shanks , about 350g each

2 onions , halved and cut into half moons

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger

3 garlic cloves , finely sliced

2 red chillies , both deseeded, one chopped and one thinly sliced

1 tbsp soft brown sugar , plus 1 tsp

3 star anise

2 lemongrass stalks, tough outer leaves removed, then bruised

1.2l lamb stock

1 ½ tbsp tomato purée

4 sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into big chunks

2 tbsp fish sauce

juice 2 limes

big handful mint leaves, torn

handful basil leaves

Method

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole, season the shanks, then brown them 2 at a time on all sides, adding the remaining oil for the second batch. Remove the lamb and add the onions. Fry them quite briskly, about 30 secs, add the ginger, garlic and chopped chilli, then turn the heat down and cook for 1 min. Add 1 tbsp sugar, stir, then add the star anise, lemongrass, stock, purée and seasoning. Bring to the boil.

Cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hrs, then add the sweet potatoes and cook for 1 hr more. The lamb should be completely tender and almost falling off the bones. Stir in the fish sauce, lime juice and 1 tsp sugar to just lift the flavour, then scatter with the mint, basil and the sliced chilli to serve.