Serve this rustic dish of tender lamb shanks and lentils with hunks of crusty baguette to mop up the flavourful juices. Use the beautiful slate-green, tiny du Puy lentils from France if you can find them.

6 lamb shanks

1 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2¼ cups beef stock

2 cups red wine

¼ cup tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar

1½ cups du Puy or regular green lentils, rinsed and drained

Rosemary sprigs for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Pat lamb shanks dry with paper towels, then sprinkle both sides with half of the salt and pepper.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook lamb shanks in batches for 3 to 5 minutes, turning often, until browned on all sides. Remove shanks to a roasting pan and arranging in a single layer.

Reduce heat to medium and add onion to oil remaining in skillet. Cook, stirring often, for 4 to 6 minutes, until onion is golden brown. Stir in 2 cups stock, the wine, tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, sugar, Worcestershire sauce, vinegar, and remaining salt and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring to scrape any brown bits from bottom of skillet.

Pour contents of skillet over lamb shanks. Cover roasting pan tightly with foil. Transfer roasting pan to oven and cook for 30 minutes.

Turn lamb shanks over. Stir lentils into cooking juices in roasting pan.

Cover roasting pan with foil, and return to oven for 1 hour, until lamb shanks and lentils are very tender. (Recipe can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours and reheated, covered, in a 350 F. oven for 45 to 55 minutes, stirring occasionally.) If the lentil mixture seems too thick, add a little of the remaining beef stock, heating it before adding to roasting pan. Taste and add more salt and pepper if necessary.

Spoon lamb shanks, lentils and cooking juices into a shallow serving dish, garnish with fresh rosemary and serve. Serves 6.