• 8 lamb shanks, piqued with garlic, anchovies and pickled lemons
• 2 teaspoons saffron strands
• 3 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• olive oil for frying
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
• 3 cups grated onion
• 250 g/8 oz blanched whole almonds (not flakes)
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 900 ml/1½ pints tomato juice
• 900 ml/1½ pints chicken stock
• 1.5 kg/3 lb tomatoes, skinned, deseeded
• and roughly chopped
• 125 g/4 oz raisins
• 4 tablespoons clear honey
• 500 g/1 lb. small new potatoes, peeled, but left whole
• 6 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander

Trim the fat from the lamb, toss the meat with the saffron, ginger, paprika, pepper and ground cinnamon, and marinate overnight. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the lamb until brown all over. Add the garlic, grated onion, almonds and cinnamon sticks, cover with tomato juice and chicken stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 1½ hours.

Remove the meat and set aside. Add the tomatoes, raisins, honey and potatoes to the pan. Cook until the tomatoes break down, the sauce thickens and the potatoes are tender.

Remove the cinnamon sticks, return the lamb to the sauce, stir in the coriander and season.

Garnish with pickled lemon peel, fried in oil, and fresh or pickled coriander leaves. Serve with tabbouleh (salad of parsley and cracked wheat) and an aubergine purée.