Lemon and Saffron Lamb Shank

This dish is a good example of what the French call sucré-salé, or sweet and savoury. It couldn't be simpler as it's achieved by using a jar of lemon marmalade.

For 4 people:

1 tbsp. olive oil, 20g butter, 8 shallots, peeled and left whole, 4 garlic cloves in their skin, 2 generous tbsp. lemon marmalade, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 good dose of saffron filaments, 150ml warm water.

Brown the lamb shanks on all sides using a heavy lidded dish (cast iron, ideally). Set aside. Melt the butter in the same dish and sauté the whole shallots, add the lemon marmalde, the garlic cloves, thyme and saffron. Add the water and put the meat back in the pan. Season with salt and pepper, cover the dish and put in a pre-heated oven at 150 C. Cook for two hours. When the meat is tender remove it and keep it warm while gently reducing the sauce. Pour over the meat and serve with a medley of vegetables.