Lamb Shanks With Pomegranate And Walnuts Food

LAMB SHANKS WITH POMEGRANATE AND WALNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place lamb shanks on a large rimmed baking sheet; season generously with salt and pepper. Mix cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, and cardamom in a small bowl; massage spice mixture into lamb. Let rest 1 hour at room temperature or chill uncovered up to 12 hours (the longer, the better).
• If chilling, let shanks sit at room temperature 1 hour for even roasting.
• Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large pot over medium-high. Working in batches, cook lamb shanks until brown on all sides, 10-15 minutes. Transfer lamb to paper towels to drain.
• Wipe out pot and let cool slightly so that vegetables don't burn. Heat remaining 1/4 cup oil in pot over medium. Add onions, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and softened, 8-10 minutes. Add thyme sprigs, garlic, and bay leaves and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle flour over and stir vigorously to evenly distribute. Cook, stirring often, until flour is absorbed, about 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a simmer and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Gradually stir in broth, pomegranate juice, and pomegranate molasses. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld, about 5 minutes.
• Arrange lamb shanks in a single layer in a large roasting pan. Pour in onion mixture and push lamb shanks down into liquid (about three-quarters of lamb shanks should be submerged; add more broth if needed). Cover pan with foil and cook lamb, turning occasionally, until meat is fork-tender and almost falling off the bone, 1 1/2-2 hours. Remove pan from oven and let lamb rest, covered, in liquid at least 30 minutes.
• Transfer lamb to a platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Strain braising liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium saucepan; skim off fat from surface and discard. Add walnuts to braising liquid and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Cook until reduced by one-third, 15-20 minutes (sauce should be slightly thickened and velvety). Add butter a piece at a time, stirring after each addition until incorporated before adding more; sauce should look glossy. Return lamb to pot and cook, stirring to coat, until heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Arrange lamb over polenta on a platter and spoon walnuts and sauce over; top with lemon zest.
• Do Ahead
• Lamb shanks can be braised 1 day ahead. Chill uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled.

SLOW-ROAST PERSIAN LAMB WITH POMEGRANATE SALAD

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a small bowl, mix the molasses with the cumin, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. Scatter the onion over a casserole dish or a deep roasting tin. Place the lamb on top of the onions. Pour the glaze over the lamb. Rinse the bowl out with about 200ml water, then pour it around - not over - the lamb.
• Cover the dish with a lid or the tin with a large piece of foil. Roast the lamb, undisturbed, for 3 hrs, then remove the lid or foil and continue to roast for 30 mins to give the lamb colour. When the lamb has had its time, pour off the juices, remove as much fat as possible, then pour the juices back over the lamb.
• Just before serving, gently toss all the salad ingredients together. Serve the lamb with its sauce, the salad and some warmed flatbreads.

LAMB BRAISED IN POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Generously season lamb chops with salt and black pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Place lamb chops in Dutch oven and cook until browned on all sides, about 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate and reduce heat to medium.
• Stir onion and a pinch of salt into the Dutch oven; cook until onions are slightly golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
• Pour pomegranate juice into the Dutch oven and scrape any browned bits off of the bottom of the pot. Pour in balsamic vinegar, increase heat to high, and bring to a boil.
• Stir rosemary, mint leaves, and red pepper flakes into pomegranate juice mixture. Continue to boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Return lamb and any accumulated juices to Dutch oven, spoon pomegranate mixture over lamb, and cover.
• Cook in the preheated oven until meat is fork tender, about 2 hours. Transfer lamb to a plate and set Dutch oven on the stovetop over high heat. Bring pomegranate mixture to a boil; cook, skimming any fat that accumulates, until liquid is reduced by 1/3, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in honey and season with salt and black pepper to taste. Return lamb to the Dutch oven; stir to combine. Garnish with pomegranate seeds, sliced mint leaves, and pumpkin seeds.

LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• For the brine:
• Place the water, sugar, and salt into a large container. Carefully add the lamb shanks and soak for 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove shanks from the brine and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic, to taste.
• Coat shanks with flour and saute in 2 to 3-ounces of virgin olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.
• Place the shanks in a roasting pan with the crushed tomatoes.
• In same saute pan that the shanks were seared in, saute the carrots, celery stalks, onion, fresh fennel and garlic until tender, about 5 minutes over medium-high heat. Remove from the heat and add to the roasting pan.
• Deglaze saute pan with 1 cup each red wine and orange juice. Reduce by half and add to roasting pan.
• Add 1/2 cup each fresh Italian parsley and fresh oregano to roasting pan. Cover and roast in oven for 2 hours or until tender. After 1 hour, turn shanks and cover for remaining time, making sure shanks are covered in the gravy.
• Garnish with fresh oregano sprigs and parsley and your favorite Italian cheese. Best served with polenta!

LAMB TAGINE WITH WALNUTS AND POMEGRANATE

Steps:

• Dredge lamb in flour.
• Heat walnut oil or olive oil in tajine or Dutch oven with tighlly fitting lid. Once oil is hot, add the lamb and season generously with salt and pepper. Brown lamb on all sides and remove from pan.
• Meanwhile toast walnuts in preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop.
• Add 2/3s of the onions and all of the carrot and celery to the tajine and saute until softened. (Since 1 onion is used to make the relish, only 2 onions are used in this stage) Next add the finely minced garlic and ginger and saute a few minutes longer. Then add ground cumin, turmeric, and allspice, stirring well to combine all ingredients. Return lamb to the pan, adding the toasted chopped walnuts. Continue to stir, allowing all flavors to marry.
• Add in 2 cups pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, and enough chicken broth to cover the meat. (You might not need the whole cup). Also add the bay leaves. (I had some curry leaves so used those instead of bay leaves). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover with a tightly fitting lid. Simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally, until lamb has become tender. If it becomes too dry during cooking, add more liquid. If there is too much liquid, then simmer uncovered.
• Meanwhile make the Onion-Pomegranate Relish: Place remaining thinly sliced onion in a bowl. Add the lime juice and ~ 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, then allow to stand one hour. Drain the onions, discarding all the liquid. This step takes the "bite" out the onion. Add pomegranate seeds to taste, a dash of salt, and chopped cilantro, also to taste.
• Once lamb is tender, add honey. Start with 1/4 cup, then increase according to taste. Simmer gently, long enough for the honey to infuse throughout the lamb tajine. Keep in mind, however, that honey burns easily and can create a bitter taste. (If I had dates on hand, they would have been added early on and the honey would have been omitted.).
• Serve over couscous, garnished generously with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro and the Harissa and Onion-Pomegranate Relish on the side. (Harissa is a chile-based condiment often used with Middle Eastern and Northern Africa cuisine. Although I have made it in the past, I just used what I had on hand -- something I had purchased from T J Maxx.).

SAMEH WADI'S LAMB SHANKS WITH POMEGRANATE AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Season lamb shanks with salt.
• In a large ovenproof pot with a lid, heat a thin film of oil. Working in batches to avoid crowding, and adjusting the heat to prevent scorching, brown the lamb shanks thoroughly over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes per side. Set aside on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Add onion, garlic and ginger to the hot pan, sprinkle with salt and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions start to become translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the ras el hanout, saffron, ginger and pepper; cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously, until the spices smell fragrant. Add 1 cup stock and bring to a boil. Cook until syrupy, about 3 minutes, using a wooden spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• Return the lamb and any drippings from the baking sheet to the pot. Add the remaining stock and the pomegranate juice. Bring to a boil, then cover and bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the lamb is very tender. Remove from the oven and place on top of the stove.
• Transfer the lamb shanks to a baking sheet and cover with foil. Let the cooking liquid cool for 15 minutes, then skim off and discard the fat that has risen to the surface. Simmer the liquid until reduced to a sauce, stirring frequently, about 20 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt, then add the vinegar and pomegranate molasses a few teaspoons at a time, until the sauce is balanced to your liking between sweet and sour. Return the shanks to the sauce and bring to a simmer, spooning the sauce over the shanks until the meat is hot and richly glazed.
• To serve, place the lamb shanks on a platter or individual plates, and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds, cilantro, pistachios and salt.

LAMB KEBABS IN POMEGRANATE-WALNUT MARINADE

Steps:

• Place the meat in a large casserole dish. In a food processor, grind the walnuts, pomegranate molasses, garlic, and oil into a puree. Add the parsley leaves and pulse into small bits. Pour the marinade over the meat and toss well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in salty water for a couple of hours before grilling. Thread 3 or 4 pieces of meat onto each skewer 1/4-inch apart, leaving 2 inches of space at the end. Discard the marinade. Brush or wipe extra marinade from the skewers. Allow the meat to come to room temperature (no more than 45 minutes total).
• Meanwhile, heat the grill to high heat. Lightly oil the grill and grill the kebabs for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is slightly charred on the outside and very pink on the inside.
• Transfer to a serving platter and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.