Lamb Shanks with Oranges and Figs

I found this recipe at a website called The Carrot and the Jew when I was searching for something interesting to make for Rosh Hashanah. Unfortunately we didn't have any of the necessary ingredients on hand. Since then, my hubby found a large (single) lamb shank at the Weis Market near us. Despite the fact that I still didn't have everything listed, I decided to go ahead with my first attempt at making my own version.

The original recipe not only called for lots of things I was missing, but also included a vast number of steps that I immediately deemed unnecessary. I've told you before that I'm lazy. Do you believe me yet? I am not really into straining sauces, or anything else for that matter. My kind of cooking involves just throwing a bunch of things into a pot and coming back later. So I improvised a bit.

The dish turned out really delicious! It was just sweet enough, and I left out the honey completely. At the very end, when I removed the pot from the oven, I added about a cup of frozen peas. Then I pulled all the meat from the bones in chunks and stirred everything together, removing the bay leaves. I also added about a cup of mandarin orange pieces because this was all I possessed in terms of oranges! This created a luxurious stew and was way easier than the original recipe.

I am including the original list of ingredients below, with my substitutions or deletions in parentheses. The description of steps that follows is my own rendition, so go to the website mentioned above if you want the long version!

 Wine Braised Lamb Shanks with Orange and Figs
Serves 6
6 small lamb shanks, 10-12 ounces each (we only had one, but it was large!)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine (I used white grape juice)
5 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
12 large shallots, peeled and left whole, roots trimmed (I used a large sweet onion)
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced (I used baby carrots: no peeling or chopping!)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (Next time I will add more.)
Juice of 1 orange (I didn't have an orange so I deleted)
1 1/2 cup water or chicken stock
3 tablespoons honey (I deleted this)
14-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes with juice
12 dried figs
2, 4 inch branches fresh rosemary (I substituted bay leaves)
3, 2-inch strips of orange peel (I had to delete this)
Chopped parsley or scallion for garnish
(1 cup frozen peas)
(1 cup mandarin oranges)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Brown lamb over medium heat on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pan and add the garlic cloves, onion, rosemary, and ginger. Stir over medium heat until translucent. Add wine, tomatoes, juice, and water. Place lamb shanks back into pan. Add figs. Cover pan and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove lid and add carrots after one hour of cooking. Replace lid and continue cooking for one more hour. Test lamb shanks for doneness. Meat should fall off the bone. Continue cooking for 2 and a half to 3 hours total, or until lamb is done. (Ours was done in just 2 hours.) Remove from oven, add peas and orange pieces, and let sit for 10 minutes before serving. Pull all meat from bones. Sprinkle parsley over each serving. Enjoy!