Based on the recipe on eb, but with a few major differences due to lack of ingredients lol the Lamb Shanks really ended up way too fatty for us despite being baked on a rack first, cooked the day before and all fat skimmed off tonight, so if anyone has any less fatty suggestions for a replacement please let me know :)

Special thanks to Lana who gave me the delicious plum sauce that saved me when i didn't have enough cranberry sauce! (we swapped for lemon butter & nectarine & peach jam ;))

Lamb Shanks in Plum, Cranberry & Red Wine Sauce

6 lamb shanks, fat trimmed as desired
2 tablespoons buckwheat flour
1 tablespoon chicken stock powder ( i use GF massel brand)
1 cup red wine (i just use an aldi cheapie)
1/2 jar cranberry sauce
around 2/3 cup plum sauce
1 tablespoon thyme or rosemary leaves
1/3 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
1-2 cups water as required
* check all ingredient lists to ensure they are gluten free

bake lamb shanks for about 20-30 mins in a 200+'c oven - i bake mine on a rack over a tray full of water, helps make them more tender as well as making cleanup easier!

place all other ingredients except water in slow cooker (crock pot) and mix well. add shanks and turn cooker onto high. cook for 2 hours then turn down to low. at this time take lid off and stir sauce to mix flour through. add as much water as you need (i had to add about 1 1/2 cups, i didn't seem to get much extra liquid from the shanks, probably because they were baked)

cook for about 5 hours until shanks are practically falling apart.

serve if desired or if you'd like to get rid of still more fat...

place shanks in a microwavable container and place in fridge. pour the sauce into a smaller container. the next night remove the solid fat from the top of the sauce. spoon it over the shanks and heat for about 20 minutes at half / medium / 50% power.

serve with mashed potatoes and steamed veg, including a green veg