March 19, 2024
Moroccan Inspired Lamb Shanks with Sumac Onions, Golden Cous Cous & Pomegranate
Moroccan Inspired Lamb Shanks with Sumac Onions, Golden Cous Cous & Pomegranate
Servings: 4
Calories
Carbs
Protein
Fat
Ingredients
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil/ rapeseed oil
- 4 tbsp harissa paste
- 4 tsp cumin
- 4 tsp honey
- 150 ml tomato passata
- Zest ½ orange
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 500 ml chicken stock
Cous Cous
- 2 small mugs cous cous
- 2 small mugs of boiling water
- 1 chicken/vegetable stock cube
- Zest and juice ½ orange
- 1 small red onion
- 200 g spinach wilted or greens like rocket/watercress
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp cumin
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 100 g feta optional
Garnish
Sumac Onions
- 2 medium red onions
- 2 tsp sumac
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Optional: 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley
- 200 g feta
- 4 tbsp fresh parsley or a mix of parsley, dill & mint
- 1 pomegranate
Instructions
Moroccan Lamb Shanks
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ fan oven.
- Warm the oil in a large pan. Add in the shanks and brown off on all sides. This will take about 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a large oven-proof tray and dollop a tbsp of harissa paste on each, smear around using the back of a spoon.
- Sprinkle with cumin and drizzle with honey.
- Spread out, as evenly as possible.
- Pour the tomato passata and stock into the roast tray and add in garlic and onion.
- Zest in ½ orange & drop in a cinnamon stick.
- Cover tightly with 1 or two layers of foil. Seal very well around the edge.
- Cook for 3 hours.
- Remove the foil, and check. It should be failing away from the bone. If not, re-cover with new foil and pop in another 40 minutes or until melting and falling off the bone, times will vary slightly depending on the size of the shank.
- Remove the shanks, cover and allow to rest. Take the sauce and pass through a sieve or blitz to form a smooth sauce. Taste for seasoning.
Sumac Pickled Onions
- Peel and thinly slice 2 small/medium red onions.
- Sprinkle on the sumac and sea salt. Massage and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
- Drizzle over the olive oil and the vinegar. Combine well.
- Cover and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to an airtight, sealable container and they should keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
- Optional, sprinkle in chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley.
Cous Cous
- Peel and dice the sweet potato. Place into a baking tray. Sprinkle with oil, cumin and sea salt.
- Roast until tender for about 40 minutes.
- To wilt the spinach: place the washed spinach in a pan with a tsp of butter, or a tsp water and wilt. down until soft, ( but not too mush ).
- Pour 1 small mug of cous cous in a large bowl. Boil the kettle. While the kettle boils, zest in the orange and squeeze in the juice. Sprinkle in the turmeric and a pinch of cinnamon.
- When the kettle boils, make the stock. As fast ( and safely) as possible, pour the boiling stock over the cous cous. Stir quickly and cover immediately with cling film.
- Allow to sit sealed for 10 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the cling film.
- Fluff with a fork, and toss in the wilted spinach, the cumin roast sweet potato and the fresh herbs.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed. Sprinkle in feta.
To Serve - Sharing Platter Style
- Spoon the couscous on the base of a large serving platter. Use the back of a spoon to flatten small hollows. Sprinkle over some fresh greens, watercress & rocket.
- Sit the lamb shanks on top of the hollows.
- Neatly pour some of the sauce over the top of each shank only.
- Sprinkle the sumac onions over the top.
- Garnish with pomegranate arils and some fresh mint, parsley of dill or a combination of all three.