Great super tasty meal. Put it on to the slow cooker means that the house is filled with the delicious rich aroma all day.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large chef’s pan over medium high heat.

Place flour, salt and pepper in a zip-lock bag large enough to accommodate 1 lamb shank. Place each shank in the bag and shake to coat well with the flour.

Place 2 shanks in the pan and turn until brown on all sides. Remove to the bowl of the slow cooker and repeat with 1 tbsp remaining oil and shanks.

Reduce the heat to medium and add to the pan, the onions, garlic and carrots and sauté for 2 minutes until the onion is starting to soften. Add the tomato paste and stir for another minute.

Add to the pan the red wine, beef stock, sugar and bay leaf. Bring to the boil and pour over the shanks in the slow cooker. Make sure the shanks are submerged.

Cook for 6-8 hours, covered, on low setting. The lamb should be buttery soft and falling off the bone.

Remove the lamb from the slow cooker and set in a warm place covered in foil. Taste the sauce to see if it needs any further salt added. Turn the cooker to the high setting and cook uncovered for around half an hour or until the sauce thickens slightly. If your lamb shanks were particularly fatty you may like to use a ladle to remove some of the fat off the top.