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Moroccan Lamb Shank
20 minutes prep. 
5 hours cooking
Serves 8 |
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (160ml) olive oil
- 8 x 350g Frenched lamb shanks (ask your butcher to do this)
- 2 leeks, cut into 1cm pieces
- 2 onions, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- ¼ cup (75g) harissa paste
- 2 cinnamon quills
- 2 star anise
- 1 pinch saffron threads
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange
- 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
- 1/2 cup (110g) dried apricots, chopped
- 2/3 cup (110g) pitted dates, chopped
- 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained
- 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
- 100g Sicilian olives
- Coriander leaves and chopped smoked almonds, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 150°c.
- Heat 1/3 cup (80ml) 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 to a plate and set aside. Discard any remaining oil.
- Return casserole to medium-high heat and add remaining 1/3 cup (80ml) oil. Add leek, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add harissa, cinnamon, star anise, saffron 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, scraping bottom of casserole with a wooden spoon, for 2-3 minutes or until wine mixture is reduced by half. Stir through apricot, date, chickpeas, tomatoes and stock, and bring to the boil.
- Return lamb to casserole, then cover and transfer to oven.
- Cook for 3 hours 30 minutes or until the meat begins to flake away from the bone.
- Increase oven temperature to 200°c and cook, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes or until 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.
- Enjoy!
