Moroccan Lamb Shanks With Chickpeas And Dates Food

MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat some olive oil in a pan, cook lamb until browned all over, drain.
• In a large saucepan or casserole dish (depending on whether you want to cook on the stove or in the oven.)Add some more olive oil, cook onion and garlic until onion softens, add cinnamon, cumin and coriander, stir until fragrant.
• Add wine, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer uncovered until liquid has reduced by about half (it doesn't have to be precise). Add chicken stock and honey, bring to the boil, and reduce heat again.
• Return lamb to the pan and either cook covered in a moderate slow oven (170c) for about 1hr 30 minutes or on a low heat on the stove for the same time. Uncover dish and add the kumara, cook covered again for a further 50Min's to 1 hr until lamb is falling of the bone.
• Remove lamb and kumara from dish cover with foil to keep warm. Strain liquid into another pan, mix a little water with the cornflour, bring the sauce to a boil over a high heat add cornflour and stir until mixture thickens.
• To Serve: I served mine over spiced couscous topped with kumara and lamb and then poured the sauce over.

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 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.

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.

SLOW COOKED MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan add lamb and cook until shanks are browned all over.
• Heat remaining olive oil in a large saucepan, add onion and garlic, cook until onion softens.
• Add cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne and ginger, stir until fragrant.
• Add wine, water, stock granules, paste, honey and chutney, bring to the boil, add lamb shanks, reduce heat to low, cook, covered, for approx 41/2-5 hours, until lamb is falling off the bone, turn shanks several time during cooking.
• About 10 Min's before the end of cooking, add apricots, stir to combine.
• Remove shanks and cover with foil to keep warm.
• Mix a little water with the cornflour, add to liquid, bring to the boil, stir until sauce becomes a gravy consistency, it will not be super thick.
• I served ours over couscous and poured the sauce around the dish.

LAMB TAGINE WITH CHICKPEAS AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a medium saucepan. Add water to cover by 2". Let soak overnight.
• Drain chickpeas; return to same saucepan. Add 2 whole garlic cloves and cinnamon stick. Add water to cover by 2". Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and simmer until chickpeas are tender, about 45 minutes. Drain; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer lamb to a medium bowl. Add onion to pot; reduce heat to medium, season with salt and pepper, and sauté until soft and beginning to turn golden, about 5 minutes. Add chopped garlic, Ras-el-Hanout , and ginger. Stir for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and lamb with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil. Add 2 1/2 cups stock. Return to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Stir in chickpeas; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Stir in apricots; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon couscous onto a large, shallow platter, forming a large well in center. Spoon tagine into center. Sprinkle cilantro over.

MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS WITH CHICKPEAS AND DATES

Steps:

• Soak chickpeas overnight covered in cold water by 2 inches. Drain.
• In a mortar, mash garlic, paprika, ginger, coriander, nutmeg, lemon juice, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and a pinch of cloves with a pestle until a thick paste forms.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Cook until golden on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer lamb to a plate.
• Add onion and celery to pot, and cook until light gold, about 5 minutes. Stir in spice paste, and cook 2 minutes. Add chickpeas and water, reduce heat to medium-low, season with salt, and gently simmer for 45 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Add lamb and cinnamon stick to pot, and return to a simmer. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until lamb is fork-tender, about 2 hours and 45 minutes. Add dates, and cook for 15 minutes. Skim fat from sauce, and discard. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

LAMB TAGINE WITH CHICKPEAS AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on high heat. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Sear lamb on all sides until brown crust develops. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add an additional tablespoon of oil if needed. Add onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add garlic, ginger, and ground spices. Saute for 1 minute more.
• Spoon the onion mixture into the bottom of a tagine. To this, add the tomatoes, chickpeas, and apricots.
• Arrange the lamb shanks on top of this mixture and then pour in the 2 cups of chicken stock- you may need a little more or less depending on the size of your lamb. Lightly stir the sauce mixture underneath the lamb to combine the flavors a bit, and spoon some of the onion mixture over the top of the lamb.
• Cover your tagine with it's lid and bake in the oven for 3 to 3.5 hours, or until lamb is fork-tender.
• Taste sauce (carefully) and season with additional salt to taste.
• Garnish with cilantro if desired.
• Serve with couscous.

MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160°C/fan140°C/gas 3. Bash the cumin and coriander in a pestle and mortar or whizz together in a mini food processor, then add the ginger, garlic and salt, and work or whizz to a rough paste. Set aside.
• Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole (large enough for the lamb shanks to fit snugly) over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and brown well all over. Remove and set aside.
• Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the spice paste and harissa and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and stock, return the shanks to the casserole and stir together. Bring to the boil and drop in the cinnamon stick. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for 2 hours, turning the lamb once or twice.
• Stir the dried fruit into the casserole and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb is almost falling off the bone. Serve with hot couscous flavoured with mint, coriander, preserved lemon and lemon juice.

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.