Moroccan lamb shanks

Name: Moroccan lamb shanks
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Moroccan recipes
Ingredients: 2 tsp cumin seeds; 1 tbsp coriander seeds; 3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, chopped; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp olive oil; 4 lamb shanks, about 450g each; 2 large red onions, cut into wedges; 11/2 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa or Bart Spices Harissa Paste (both from major supermarkets); 200g can chopped tomatoes; 600ml chicken stock, hot; 1 cinnamon stick; 100g dried ready-to-eat apricots, halved; 100g dried ready-to-eat figs, halved

Easy
September 2006

Easy
September 2006

Serves 4
Ready in about 3 hours

Melt-in-the-mouth lamb, slow-cooked with all those fantastically aromatic flavours of North Africa.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 826kcals
Fat: 41.2g (15g saturated)
Protein: 91.6g
Carbohydrates: 31.4g (28.7g sugar)
Salt: 3g

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 826kcals
Fat: 41.2g (15g saturated)
Protein: 91.6g
Carbohydrates: 31.4g (28.7g sugar)
Salt: 3g

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Ingredients

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 lamb shanks, about 450g each
2 large red onions, cut into wedges
11/2 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa or Bart Spices Harissa Paste (both from major supermarkets)
200g can chopped tomatoes
600ml chicken stock, hot
1 cinnamon stick
100g dried ready-to-eat apricots, halved
100g dried ready-to-eat figs, halved

2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
4 lamb shanks, about 450g each
2 large red onions, cut into wedges
11/2 tbsp Belazu Rose Harissa or Bart Spices Harissa Paste (both from major supermarkets)
200g can chopped tomatoes
600ml chicken stock, hot
1 cinnamon stick
100g dried ready-to-eat apricots, halved
100g dried ready-to-eat figs, halved

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Bash the cumin and coriander in a pestle and mortar or whizz together in a mini food processor, then add the ginger, garlic and salt, and work or whizz to a rough paste. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole (large enough for the lamb shanks to fit snugly) over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown well all over. Remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spice paste and harissa and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, return the shanks to the casserole and stir together. Bring to the boil and drop in the cinnamon stick. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours, turning the lamb once or twice.
Stir the dried fruit into the casserole and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is almost falling off the bone. Serve with hot couscous flavoured with mint, coriander, preserved lemon and lemon juice.

Method

Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Bash the cumin and coriander in a pestle and mortar or whizz together in a mini food processor, then add the ginger, garlic and salt, and work or whizz to a rough paste. Set aside.
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole (large enough for the lamb shanks to fit snugly) over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown well all over. Remove and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spice paste and harissa and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, return the shanks to the casserole and stir together. Bring to the boil and drop in the cinnamon stick. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours, turning the lamb once or twice.
Stir the dried fruit into the casserole and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is almost falling off the bone. Serve with hot couscous flavoured with mint, coriander, preserved lemon and lemon juice.

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3.5 votes

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Dawn McAllister says:
2nd Jun 2015 at 2:12 pm
I love this recipe because with all those Moroccan flavours it is great for a Sunday family lunch or a dinner party treat, the choice is yours. Slow cooked for tenderness, giving you more time to spend with your friends or with the kids.
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Valerie Brown says:
1st Jun 2015 at 8:46 am
I love this recipe because its so good the family ask for it again and again – tender, spicy, warming – a treat for Sunday lunch or anytime
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