Lamb Shanks With Fruited Couscous Food

LAMB SHANKS & ORZO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Combine the flour, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl and dredge the lamb shanks in the mixture, shaking off the excess. In a large (13-inch) Dutch oven such as Le Creuset, heat 3 tablespoons of the grapeseed oil over medium-high heat. Add 2 lamb shanks and cook for 10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until browned on all sides. Transfer the shanks to a plate, add more grapeseed oil, and brown the remaining 2 shanks.
• Wipe out the Dutch oven with a paper towel, add the olive oil, and heat over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and rosemary and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Add the tomatoes, beef broth, wine, 4 teaspoons salt, and 2 teaspoons pepper. Add the lamb shanks, arranging them so they're almost completely submerged in the liquid. Tuck in the bay leaves and bring to a simmer on top of the stove. Cover the pot and place it in the oven for 2 hours, turning the shanks once while they cook.
• Stir in the orzo and return the lamb shanks to the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, until the orzo is cooked and the lamb shanks are very tender. Discard the bay leaves, stir in 2 to 3 tablespoons of white wine, and taste the orzo for seasonings. Serve hot.

ONE-PAN LAMB & COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Rub the lamb with half the harissa paste. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the lamb for 3 mins on each side for medium-rare, or a little longer for well-done. Lift the meat out of the pan and tip in the remaining harissa, the dried fruit and nuts, couscous and chickpeas, then stir to coat in the paste. Take the pan off the heat and pour in the stock. Stir briefly, return the lamb to the pan and cover with a lid or tightly-fitting foil for 10 mins until the couscous has absorbed all the liquid.
• Fluff up the couscous with a fork, season to taste and fold the mint leaves through to serve.

MOROCCAN LAMB SHANK WITH COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Mix ground cumin, coriander, paprika and fennel seeds in a bowl. Put the olive oil in a big sauce pan with lid or a casserole in medium heat. When the oil is hot, put in the mixed spices. Fry them for 1-2 minutes until you can smell the lovely fragrance of the spices. Add ginger and chili, fry for a further 1 minute.
• Add lamb shanks in the pan, make sure the shanks are coated with the spices while browning the meat. After the lamb shanks are nice and brown, add the chopped tomatoes, and cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add chicken stock into the pan, make sure the lamb shanks are largely covered, and bring it to boil. Add cinnamon stick, salt and honey to the pot, cover the pan with the lid and reduce the heat to let it simmer for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, adjust the seasoning to your preference. Let the lamb continue to cook for another 2 hours, and turn the lamb shanks over every 30 minutes, and add additional water if the stocks becomes a bit dry.
• After 2 hours and 30 minutes, add the chopped apricots, figs and almond flakes to the lamb, and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. The meat should be almost falling off the bones by now.
• Meanwhile, put couscous in a large bowl, and cover with the sauce from the lamb. The liquid should be enough to cover the couscous with a finger width of extra water on the top. Cover the bowl with the lid from the pot for about 5 minutes. This would allow the couscous to soak up all the flavours. Uncover the bowl, and fluff the couscous up with a fork. Sprinkle some of the chopped coriander and mix.
• Divide the couscous up into 2 bowls, and dish out the lam shank on top of the couscous. Don't forget to put some of that lovely sauce on top of the dish. And finally, sprinkle some of the chopped coriander on top.

CURRIED BRAISED LAMB SHANK WITH THREE ONION COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season the shanks well with salt and pepper. Mix flour with curry, chili, fennel, and coriander. Completely coat shanks in mix. In a hot casserole lightly coated with canola oil, sear shanks and color on all sides. Set shanks aside and wipe out casserole. Saute onions, celery, carrots, garlic and ginger until soft. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze casserole with red wine and reduce by half. Stir in thyme. Add soy sauce, banana, kaffir lime and chilies. Add shanks and completely cover with water. Check for seasoning. Slowly bring to a boil then cover tightly with foil or lid. Roast in a 325 degree oven (at a simmer) for at least 3 hours. The meat should fall off of the bone. Remove shanks and reduce sauce until thickened slightly. Remove kaffir lime leaves and puree sauce using a hand blender. Check again for seasoning.
• THREE ONION COUSCOUS: In a hot saute pan, add canola oil and caramelize onions with the scallions. Season. Remove to a large bowl. Add olive oil, currants and couscous. Boil water and add exactly 6 cups to bowl and quickly stir together. Immediately cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let stand 30 minutes. With a fork, fluff couscous and check for seasoning.

LAMB SHANK TAGINE WITH APRICOT COUSCOUS

Steps:

• In a hot casserole, sear lamb shanks until brown and remove. Saute carrots, onions, ginger and garlic for five minutes. Add raisins and spices and quickly stir. Return lamb to pot and add olives, lemon and stock. Bring to a boil and simmer approximately 2 and 1/2 hours or until fork tender. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar to taste.
• Follow directions on box for preparation of couscous. Add all other ingredients.
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings

LAMB CHOPS WITH FRUITY COUSCOUS & MINT

Steps:

• Place the lamb in a bowl. Sprinkle over the paprika, half the onion, 1 tbsp vinegar and ½ tbsp oil. Season, then set aside.
• To make the couscous, boil the kettle and tip the couscous into a heatproof bowl. Stir in the pine nuts, dates, lemon zest and half the juice. Pour over 140ml just-boiled water, push the coucous to the sides of the bowl, cover, then leave to stand for 10 mins.
• Heat grill to high. Lift the lamb out of its marinade, grill for 2-3 mins on each side, then rest, wrapped in foil, for 10 mins. Stir half the chopped herbs and some seasoning into the couscous, then add the remaining lemon juice to taste. Mix together the remaining herbs, red onion, vinegar, oil and seasoning to make a herby vinaigrette. Serve the lamb and couscous with the vinaigrette.

LAMB SHANKS WITH CHICKPEAS & MOROCCAN SPICES

Steps:

• Soak the chickpeas overnight. Drain, tip into a saucepan and cover generously with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, simmer for 45 minutes and drain.
• Heat the oil in a large casserole and brown the lamb all over. Remove and set aside. Pour off most of the fat, leaving 1 tablespoon in the dish, add the onions and fry for 8-10 minutes until soft.
• Preheat the oven to 160C/Gas 3/fan oven 140C. Mix together the ginger, garlic, chillies, cumin, coriander, pepper and paprika. Add half of this to the onions, tip in the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes. Put in the lamb and chickpeas, cover generously with water (about 850ml/11⁄2 pints), bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and cook in the oven for 11⁄2-2 hours until the chickpeas are really tender. (You can prepare up to this stage the day before. Cool, cover and refrigerate. Bring back to simmering point before starting step 4.)
• Remove from the oven and stir in the remaining spice mixture, the saffron and cinnamon, carrots, apricots, honey and salt. Cover and return to the oven for 45 minutes-1 hour until the lamb is tender and the vegetables cooked. Scatter the almonds and coriander on top.

MOROCCAN VEGETABLE COUSCOUS WITH LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• In a saucepan cover chickpeas with water and cook, covered, until tender.
• Drain, cool and remove skins.
• In bottom of a Couscoussier (or double stock pot w/steamer), preheat 5 tablespoons of butter and oil over medium heat until hot.
• Add lamb, salt, spices, onions, herb sprigs and tomatoes; cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes.
• Add 3 quarts water and chickpeas; cover and simmer over low heat, 1 1/2 hours.
• Cut meat into chunks, discarding bones.
• Add carrots, turnips and quince to lamb broth and simmer 30 minutes.
• In a separate saucepan cover squash with broth from lamb stew and simmer until tender.
• To lamb broth add zucchini, chili pepper, and raisins.
• Top with colander containing couscous, cover and steam 20 minutes.
• Dot couscous with remaining butter during last 5 minutes of steaming.
• To serve, spoon couscous onto serving dish and toss with Ghee*, Smen** or butter.
• Spread out to form a large well in center.
• With a slotted spoon transfer meat and vegetables into well.
• Add drained squash.
• Strain broth, adjust seasoning to taste and moisten couscous and vegetables with broth.

LAMB SHANKS WITH FRUITED COUSCOUS

Steps:

• Season the shanks with salt, pepper and cumin.
• In a sauté pan, heat vegetable oil on high heat and brown the shanks on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Using the same pan, heat two tablespoons of olive oil, add diced vegetables and cook until browned. Add flour and cook for about 5 minutes. Add wine and simmer, reducing liquid by half.
• Put shanks in a large pot. Add the liquid with vegetables, tomato paste, and bouquet garni. Cover shanks with water and season with salt and pepper. Let simmer for about 1 1/2 hours, or until the shanks are very tender and the meat can be easily separated from the bone.
• Just before serving, place rosemary and 4 remaining garlic cloves in a mortar and make a paste. Add mixture to the sauce.
• Couscous:.
• In a large bowl, mix couscous with olive oil, almonds and dried fruits. Bring chicken stock to a boil, pour stock over the couscous, cover, and allow to sit for 20 minutes, undisturbed. Using a large fork, fluff couscous and sprinkle with herbs before serving.