Moroccan Style Braised Baby Lamb Shanks Recipes

MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, chile, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add celery, carrot, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, star anise, and saffron. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and fragrant; season with salt and pepper.
• Add chicken stock, tomatoes, apricots, and olives; bring to a boil. Add lamb, making sure it is submerged halfway; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and cook, rotating lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is evenly browned and falling off the bone, and sauce is thickened.

MOROCCAN STYLE BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil.
• Season the shanks with salt and pepper.
• Add the shanks to the casserole, 2 at a time, and cook over moderately high heat until browned all over, about 12 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate and wipe out the casserole.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the casserole.
• Add the onion, carrots and garlic and cook over moderate heat, stirring about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
• Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg and cook, stirring until lightly toasted, about
• 1 minute.
• Add the tomato paste and harissa and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the wine and boil until reduced to a thick syrup, about 4 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes and 1 cup of the chicken stock to the casserole. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil.
• Nestle the lamb shanks in the liquid.
• Cover tightly and braise in the oven for about 3 hours, basting occasionally, until the meat is almost falling off the bone.
• Transfer the shanks to a platter and cover with foil. Leave the oven on.
• Spread the almonds in a pie pan in an even layer and toast for about 10 minutes, or until golden.
• Strain the sauce into a bowl, pressing on the vegetables; skim any fat.
• Return the sauce to the casserole and boil over high heat until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Return the vegetables and lamb to the sauce and keep warm.
• In a small bowl, mix the mint with the cilantro and almonds and season lightly with salt and pepper.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
• Add the shallot and cook over moderately high heat until softened, about 2 minutes.
• Stir in the couscous and cook until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the remaining 1 cup of chicken stock, the water and 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
• Remove from the heat and add the currants.
• Cover and let stand for 10 minutes.
• Fluff with a fork and stir in half of the herb-almond mixture.
• Mound the couscous in the center of a large platter.
• Arrange the lamb shanks around the couscous and spoon the sauce on top.
• Sprinkle with the remaining herb-almond mixture and serve.

MOROCCAN-STYLE BRAISED BABY LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/gas 4.
• For the spice paste: Combine the saffron with the 2 teaspoons of boiling water, and leave to soak.
• Heat a small skillet over high heat, then dry-roast the fennel seeds, star anise, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorns for about 2 minutes, or until fragrant. When the spices have cooled, remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, then place them with the dry-roasted seeds in an electric grinder, and grind until the mixture is finely ground. Set aside.
• In a suitable container, grind the chillies, garlic, ginger, cilantro stems and roots, turmeric and galangal with an electric stick-blender until you have a coarse paste. Lightly crush the peppercorns with a mortar and pestle or a heavy rolling pin, and add to the chilli/garlic mixture with the sea salt. Add the shallots, saffron strands with their soaking water, paprika, the reserved ground spices and the olive oil to this paste, and mix well to combine.
• Heat a heavy-based, medium-sized frying pan over high heat, then add the paste and cook, stirring regularly, for about 5 minutes or until fragrant. Reduce heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes. Add the palm sugar and fish sauce, increase the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for a further 2 minutes, or until mixture is slightly caramelised. Remove from stove and set aside.
• Brush a roasting tin with some olive oil and heat on the stove top. Season the lamb shanks with salt and white pepper, then add to the roasting pan and seal until lightly browned on all sides.
• Drain off any excess oil and increase the heat. Drizzle the prepared spice paste over lamb, and toss and stir the contents of the tin to ensure the shanks are well coated, and to seal in flavours. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, onions, dates, apricots and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
• Remove the tin from the stove, pour over stock and cover with foil. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove foil and bake for a further 1 hour, or until lamb is very tender and well browned.
• When the meat is done, drizzle with lime juice and fish sauce before serving.
• Serve with cous cous, rice or crusty bread and a large green salad.

MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.
• Heat the oil in a large heavy-based flameproof casserole with a lid over high heat. In 2 batches, cook the lamb, turning, for 8-10 minutes or until evenly browned, Transfer lamb t a plate and set aside,
• In remaining oil on medium-high heat add leek, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add harissa, cinnamon, star anise and orange zest, and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant. Add orange juice and white wine, and bring to the boil, Cook for 2-3 minutes or until wine mixture is reduced by half. Stir through apricots, dates, chick peas, tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil, Return lamb to the casserole, then cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 3 hours 30 minutes or until meat begins to flake away from the bone.
• Increase oven temperature to 200 degrees and cook, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
• Meanwhile, using the heel of your hand, squash olives and discard pits.
• Scatter braised lamb with coriander leaves, crushed olives and smoked almonds to serve.