Lamb Shank Tajine Recipes

ORLANDO BLOOM'S LAMB SHANK TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
• To make the ras el hanout, lightly bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar, then shake out the seeds, discarding the pods. Bash and muddle in the remaining ingredients to form a powder.
• Massage into the lamb shanks, then place in a large ovenproof pan on a medium-high heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned all over, turning regularly.
• Prick the chilli and add alongside the lamb until slightly scalded all over, then remove both lamb and chilli to a plate.
• Peel and finely slice the garlic. Peel the onion and quince, cutting each into 8 wedges. Peel the carrots and chop at an angle into 4cm chunks. Trim and quarter the fennel bulb.
• Wipe out the pan with a ball of kitchen paper, then place on a medium heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil, the pricked chilli, bay leaves, garlic, quince and veg. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a cup, just cover the saffron with boiling water.
• Return the lamb shanks to the pan, then quarter and add the tomatoes along with the saffron mixture, whole preserved lemon and stock. Bring to the boil. Cover the surface with a scrunched-up circular sheet of wet greaseproof paper, then pop a lid on.
• Cook in the oven for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the shanks are soft and delicious and the sauce has reduced.
• Use a spoon to skim away any excess fat from the surface, then carefully remove the shanks to a plate.
• Place the pan on a medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
• Place the couscous and half the mint sprigs in a bowl, just cover with boiling water, pop a plate on top and leave to soak and infuse.
• To make a salad, destone the olives and roughly tear into a bowl. Pick in the parsley and remaining mint leaves, squeeze over the lemon and orange juice, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss together.
• Swirl the harissa through the yoghurt. Return the lamb shanks to the sauce.
• Fluff up the couscous, discarding the mint, then divide between your plates. Spoon over the tagine, sprinkle over the salad, and finish with a dollop of harissa yoghurt.

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large (12-to-13-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels. In batches, add the lamb shanks to the pot and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining shanks, adding a little more oil, if necessary. Transfer all the shanks to the plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more oil, if necessary. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for just 30 seconds. Add the chili powder, turmeric, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, the chicken stock, brown sugar, lime, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the potatoes, butternut squash and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Place the lamb shanks in the pot, spooning some of the sauce and vegetables over the shanks. (They will not be completely submerged.) Cover the pot and bake for 3 hours, until the lamb shanks are very tender. Serve hot with couscous.

LAMB SHANK TAJINE

Steps:

• Put the lamb into a tajine or large pot and add the onions, olive oil, white pepper, ginger, salt, saffron threads, turmeric and cinnamon. Brown the meat for a few minutes over medium heat. Add 3 or 4 cups water and the small bouquet of cilantro. Cover and simmer the meat over medium heat until the meat is very tender, about 1 hour. If necessary, add a small amount of water during cooking to prevent the meat from scorching. When the meat has cooked, uncover the pot and continue cooking off the liquid until mostly oils and onions remain with the meat.
• Put the prunes in a small pot and add enough water to almost cover, about 2 cups. Simmer over medium heat. Add the ground cinnamon, sugar and orange blossom water. Simmer, partially covered, until the prunes are quite tender and sitting in very thick syrup.
• To serve, put the meat on a large serving platter, or if you've cooked in a tajine, use that as the serving dish. Spoon the prunes and syrup on top of the meat and garnish with the fried almonds and sesame seeds.

LAMB SHANK TAGINE WITH DATES

Steps:

• Trim shanks of excess fat, then season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, fresh ginger, paprika and cumin, and smear over shanks. Leave shanks at room temperature to season for at least an hour. (Or you can wrap and refrigerate several hours, or overnight; return to room temperature before proceeding.)
• In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, saffron and cayenne, and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Lower heat to medium, add seasoned shanks and let cook with onions, turning occasionally, until meat and onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add cinnamon stick, dried ginger, chopped dates and water to barely cover (about 31/2 to 4 cups) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover pot with a tightfitting lid and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 350 degrees. Check sauce and add water if level of liquid is below meat. Continue baking for another hour, checking liquid level occasionally, then test meat by probing with skewer or paring knife. It should be quite tender and almost falling from bone, but cooked no further. (Tagine may be prepared to this point up to two days ahead. Reheat gently in a covered pot on the stovetop, adding a little more water as necessary.)
• Remove meat from pot and place in deep, wide serving bowl. Skim off any surface fat from cooking liquid in pot. Add whole dates to pot and simmer for a few minutes to reduce sauce slightly. Pour sauce and dates over meat. To serve, garnish with raisins, pomegranate seeds and cilantro sprigs.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine lamb and 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add apricots, and let sit at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a tagine, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, add lamb to pot, leaving room around each piece (this will help them brown). Cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Drain fat, if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lamb and any juices on the plate, the apricots and stock, and half the cilantro. Cover pot with foil and then its lid, and cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lamb is tender, turning it occasionally. (If using a tagine, you don't need to use foil.) Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter and 1 cinnamon stick over medium heat. Add almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
• To serve, transfer lamb and juices to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and any butter left in the small skillet, scallions, parsley and remaining cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve with flatbread or couscous, if desired.