Lamb knuckles are usually a little cheaper than lamb shanks, but tend to have less fat and cooked slowly are just as nice as shanks. If using shanks, trim off any excess fat before cooking.
I make my own plum sauce and plum jam and the combination of both in this dish works really well with the lamb, so if you don’t make your own, it’s worth buying both for this dish.
Using my cast iron casserole dish meant that it could all be made in the one pan. A roasting dish covered with tin foil for the oven stage will work just as well, or you can use a frypan then transfer it all to a casserole dish for the baking stage.
No salt is needed in this dish, as the combination of stock, wine, plum sauce, jam and worcestershire sauce bring out all the flavours wonderfully well without the need for salt.
This dish is easy to prepare, economical, uses ingredients that you probably have on hand, but still guaranteed to impress!
Herbed Lamb Knuckles with Sweet Plum Sauce
(Serves 2)
1 tablespoon flour
2 lamb knuckles
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion (sliced)
Few sprigs fresh rosemary (chopped)
Few sprigs fresh thyme (chopped)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup red wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
¼ cup plum jam
¼ cup plum sauce
Put the flour in a plastic bag, add the knuckles and shake to coat. Heat ½ the oil to quite hot and brown the knuckles on all sides.
Remove the knuckles from the pan, lower the heat and add the onions and herbs, remaining oil and saute gently until the onions are transparent. Add pepper, wine, stock, plum sauce and plum jam and heat through until boiling and well mixed.
Put the knuckles back in the dish, spoon the sauce all over them, cover and transfer to oven which has been heated to 175°C for 1¼ hours. Let it stand with the lid on for 15 minutes, then serve. The meat should be falling from the bone and the sauce nicely caramelised.
Serve with rice, couscous or mashed potatoes together with your choice of steamed green vegetable.