Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks with Lentils, Garlic & Rosemary

Browning the meat adds flavour to the final dish—you could also brown the shanks on the barbecue first, but it isn’t absolutely necessary. If you’re pressed for time, just toss them straight into the slow cooker or pot. You can use this same technique with a whole leg of lamb, with or without the bone. If you do it in the slow cooker and the bone sticks out, cover the open part with tin foil to trap the heat—it works just fine! (Tip: if there are leftover lentils in a mass of sticky juices