1. Preheat the oven to 150C.
2. Prepare the lamb by mixing the butter, spices and thyme together to form a thick paste.
3. Using a sharp knife lightly score the lamb shank, about 3mm deep, cutting a little deeper through any very fatty sections. This will help the fat render off as the shank roasts.
4. Smear the compound butter all over the lamb, pressing it deeply into the cuts.
5. Scatter the sliced onions (if using) over the base of a small roasting tray and place the lamb on top. This step helps to perfume the lamb, keeping it moist and stopping it from sticking to the base.
6. Wrap the garlic for the green hummus in foil and pop this into the roasting tray with the lamb.
7.  Add ¼ cup of water into the roasting tray, cover the lamb in foil and roast for 1 1/2 hours.
8. This is a great time to make your Iranian Cucumber and Yogurt Sauce, and Marinated Aubergines.
9. After 1 1/2 hours, remove the garlic, and set it aside. Add a little more water to the tray, re-cover the lamb and roast for a further hour, until the meat begins to soften. Each shank will vary slightly in size so your cooking times may vary slightly to mine. However, don’t be too concerned as it’s very hard to overcook a lamb at 150C.
10. While the lamb cooks make the green hummus. Add the edamame, tahini, mint, roasted garlic, lemon zest and juice to a food processor or blender. Squeeze the slow roasted garlic out of its skin and add it to the other ingredients. Pulse the mixture with 2 Tbsp water until it forms a well-combined chunky puree. Season the green hummus to taste with salt and pepper.
11. Once the lamb begins to soften and pull away from the shank bone (usually after 2,5-3 hours, but sometimes longer), remove the foil, turn the oven to 180C and roast the lamb for a further 20-30 minutes to crisp the skin. Should your lamb need a little longer don’t worry too much, simply re-cover it, add a little bit more water to the pan and return it to the oven until the meat is literally falling off the bone. Once the lamb has cooked, switch off the oven and allow it to rest while you set the table and finish off any last side dishes.
12. Once ready to serve, spread the green hummus over a platter and top it with the hot Persian Lamb. Serve immediately.

Iranian Cucumber And Yogurt Sauce

1. Grate the cucumber on the large holes of a box grater. Gather the cucumber in your hands and squeeze hard a few times to remove excess water.
2. Add the cucumber to a bowl with the mint, yoghurt and minced garlic. Mix everything together and season the yoghurt with salt to taste.
3. Set the sauce aside until serving, along with the walnuts and rose for garnishing.
4. Once ready to serve, spoon the sauce into a dish and scatter over dried rose petals and chopped walnuts.

Marinated Aubergine

Serves 2-3 generously, as a side dish

1. As your aubergine needs time to cool to room temperature and soak up the marinade, it’s best to make this as early as you can, or you can even make it the night before.
2. Place your aubergine slices into a colander and sprinkle generously with fine salt to draw out any bitter juices. Leave the aubergine on a draining board for 10 minutes, before patting them dry and wiping off any excess salt with kitchen paper.
3. Preheat the grill pan or frying pan over high heat.
4. Brush the aubergine with a little olive oil and grill for 5-10 minutes, or until golden on each side. Once golden, pop them in a baking dish and into the oven with the börek or lamb for 30 minutes to cook through and soften.
5. To make the marinade put the remaining olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, nuts, sugar and bay leaf into a clean bowl. Give the mixture a whisk with a fork, then season to taste before adding in the chilli flakes.
6. Once gooey and soft, remove the aubergines from the oven, and while still hot, pour over the marinade and allow to cool to room temperature. Set the aubergines aside to marinate for at least 40 minutes (and ideally overnight). While marinading give the aubergines a few turns to evenly saturate them in the dressing.