Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Lavender Prunes & Almond Sauce

The mixture of flavors in this dish are simply intoxicating! Don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you, most are spices. This recipe is easy to put together and well worth it!
I like to cook it in a casserole dish and serve it in a decorative tagine.

4 lamb shanks, lightly salted and peppered

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium coarsely chopped white onion

4 minced garlic cloves

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger

1/2 cup cilantro, coarsely chopped spice mix (combine spices below before cooking)

1 teaspoon ras el hanout*

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon Keys Creek culinary lavender

2 teaspoon salt and fresh ground pepper

1 cup white wine or champagne

3 cups water

1/2 cup Keys Creek lavender honey

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a large ovenproof casserole dish with nonstick spray, and brown the lamb shank in olive oil. Transfer lamb to a plate. In the same pan, add onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in spice mixture and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add white wine, water, and lavender honey and stir well. Return the lamb shanks to the casserole. If needed, add water to bring the liquid level up to cover half of the shanks. Cover the casserole dish with foil
and a lid. Bake for 2 1/2 hours. While the lamb is cooking, prepare the lavender prune and almond sauce. Check the casserole hourly to maintain the liquid level. Turn the lamb shanks to keep moist. Remove from the oven and transfer to a tagine or platter. Spoon the lavender prune and almond sauce over the lamb and sprinkle with fresh cilantro. Serve with quinoa or pilaf with mint, lavender, and currants.

*ras el hanout can be found at middle eastern stores or online.