Moroccan Lamb Shanks Recipe

Winter time calls for comfort food and we have the ultimate hearty winter meal inspiration for you with our Moroccan Lamb Shanks recipe. 

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup olive oil
• 8 x 350g Frenched lamb shanks
• 2 leeks, cut into 1cm pieces
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped
• ¼ cup harissa paste
• 2 cinnamon quills
• 2 star anise
• 1 pinch of saffron
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 orange.
• ½ cup white wine
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
• 2/3 cup pitted dates, chopped
• 400g can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 3 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 2 cups quality chicken stock
• 100g Sicilian olives (optional)
• Chopped coriander and chopped toasted almonds to serve (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius.
2. Heat 1/3 cup of olive oil in a large, cooktop safe, casserole dish with a lid over a high heat.
3. In two batches, cook the lamb shanks, turning regularly, for 8 – 10 minutes or until evenly browned. Transfer the lamb to a plate and set aside.
4. Discard oil from lamb shanks and return casserole dish to the cooktop over a medium – high heat. Add in the remaining 1/3 cup of olive oil, along with leek, onion and garlic and cook for 4 -5 minutes until softened.
5. Add harissa paste, cinnamon quills, star anise, saffron and orange zest to the softened leeks, onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 – 3 minutes. Add fresh orange juice and white wine and bring to boil.
6. Cook, mixing through to the bottom of the casserole dish with a wooden spoon for another 2-3 minutes until wine mixture is reduced by half. Stir through chopped dried apricots, chopped pitted dates, chickpeas, tinned chopped tomatoes and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
7. Place the lamb shanks back into the casserole dish, cover with lid and transfer to the oven to cook for 3 hours and 30 minutes or until the meat begins to flake away from the bone.
8. Increase oven temperature to 200 degrees Celsius and cook uncovered for an additional 30 -40 minutes or until sauce has reduced and thickened.
9. Scatter through olives, chopped coriander leaves and toasted almonds to serve (optional).

        Serve on a bed of cooked rice or mashed sweet potato!