Discover the tantalizing flavors of Moroccan cuisine with this exquisite recipe for lamb shanks braised to perfection with tender chickpeas and sweet dates. This delectable dish is an aromatic symphony of spices, creating a hearty and flavorful meal that will delight your taste buds. With its succulent lamb shanks falling off the bone, the creamy and flavorful broth, and the perfect balance of sweet and savory notes, this recipe is sure to become a staple in your culinary repertoire.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
LAMB SHANKS WITH CHICKPEAS & MOROCCAN SPICES
Couscous goes well with the North African flavours of this dish
Provided by Good Food team
Categories Dinner, Main course
Time 4h
Number Of Ingredients 19
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.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 653 calories, Fat 27 grams fat, SaturatedFat 10 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 55 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 1 grams sugar, Fiber 11 grams fiber, Protein 50 grams protein, Sodium 0.47 milligram of sodium
MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS
This delicious lamb dish is courtesy of chef Brad Farmerie. Martha made this recipe on Cooking School episode 305.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Lamb Recipes
Number Of Ingredients 20
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, chile, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add celery, carrot, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, star anise, and saffron. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and fragrant; season with salt and pepper.
- Add chicken stock, tomatoes, apricots, and olives; bring to a boil. Add lamb, making sure it is submerged halfway; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and cook, rotating lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is evenly browned and falling off the bone, and sauce is thickened.
LAMB SHANK TAGINE WITH DATES
For the best stews, use lamb shanks simmered slowly on the bone. Here, Moroccan seasonings mingle for a bright balance of flavors: sweetness comes from dates and onions, and heat and spice from ginger and cumin. This tagine is traditionally accompanied only by warm whole wheat pita or Arab flatbread. But, if you wish, serve with buttered couscous or even mashed potatoes. Roasted parsnips or wilted mustard greens would harmonize well, too.
Provided by David Tanis
Categories dinner, main course
Time 3h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 17
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.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 732, UnsaturatedFat 19 grams, Carbohydrate 33 grams, Fat 43 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 55 grams, SaturatedFat 21 grams, Sodium 991 milligrams, Sugar 23 grams, TransFat 0 grams
MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS
This is a great dish, tastes wonderful and the thing I love about cooking shanks is that although the cooking time is long once you have it all in the pot that is it, just come and stir it a couple of times. I actually went and enjoyed a drink with my hubby that evening at our local restaurant and I didn't have to worry about the food. When we got home it was nice to know I did not have much to do add the kumara and make some couscous. I make lamb shanks all the time I really enjoy them, I would probably make them more if they were readily available. This is just another take on a more traditional lamb shank recipe. I use 4 nice size lamb shanks in this recipe or if you can only get french trimmed use 8, 2 per person as they are smaller.
Provided by The Flying Chef
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 3h20m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
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.
SLOW COOKED MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS
I have another recipe for Moroccan lamb shanks that we really enjoy, but I thought I would experiment a bit more the other day with some more flavours. We really enjoyed how they turned out and for us the flavour had just the right amount of spice. I cooked ours on the stove top on a really low heat for about 4 1/2-5 Hours and the lamb came out falling off the bone as lamb shanks should. I am not sure how long these would need in a slow cooker as I do not own one, so if anyone does them that way please let me know.
Provided by The Flying Chef
Categories Lamb/Sheep
Time 5h15m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 17
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.
MOROCCAN LAMB SHANKS WITH CHICKPEAS AND DATES
A frequently overlooked part of the lamb that's intensely meaty yet exceptionally mild, the shank is an unassuming cut that takes well to any number of ingredients. Dates lend it sweetness; chickpeas, sustenance; and a blend of spices, an undercurrent of warmth.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Ingredients Meat & Poultry Lamb Recipes
Time 4h
Number Of Ingredients 18
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 SHANKS WITH APRICOTS AND CHICKPEAS
This stew, inspired by Moroccan tagines, is meant for lamb shanks, but lamb shoulder, cut in large chunks, would also work. As with most braises, this one improves after a night in the fridge, giving the flavors time to meld and deepen. You could even make it a few days before serving. The subtle commingling of onion, saffron and apricots is enchanting. Take the time to soak and cook dried chickpeas, if you can. Using canned is easier, but freshly cooked chickpeas taste far better (and their drained cooking liquid makes a delicious vegetarian broth).
Provided by David Tanis
Categories meat, tagine, main course
Time 3h30m
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Season lamb shanks generously with salt and pepper. Place in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot. Cover with 6 cups water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a low simmer and cook, covered with lid ajar, for 1 hour. Remove shanks and reserve cooking liquid. Wipe out the pan. (You may cook the lamb shanks in advance, even a day ahead.)
- Set Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon garlic, bay leaf, saffron, tomato paste and paprika. Stir together and let sizzle for 1 minute, then add reserved lamb broth and bring to a boil. Add lamb shanks and apricots, cover with lid ajar and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, until meat is very tender, nearly falling off the bone.
- Remove shanks and place on a cutting board to cool. Add parsnips to simmering broth, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Taste broth and adjust seasoning. If necessary, reduce over medium-high heat to concentrate cooking juices.
- When shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the bones (use your hands). Cut the meat into large chunks and return to the pot to warm through. Transfer meat and sauce to a serving platter.
- To finish, warm remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon garlic and let sizzle without browning, about 30 seconds. Add chickpeas and warm them through, about 5 minutes. Season lightly with salt, and toss with the chopped cilantro. Spoon chickpeas over lamb and sauce.
Tips:
- When choosing lamb shanks, look for ones that are meaty and have a good amount of fat. This will help to ensure that the shanks are tender and flavorful.
- To save time, you can use canned chickpeas in this recipe. Just be sure to rinse and drain them well before adding them to the pot.
- If you don't have dates on hand, you can substitute dried apricots or raisins.
- Serve the lamb shanks with couscous, rice, or your favorite side dish.
Conclusion:
Moroccan lamb shanks with chickpeas and dates is a delicious and hearty dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The lamb shanks are braised in a flavorful sauce until they are fall-off-the-bone tender. The chickpeas and dates add a touch of sweetness and texture to the dish. This dish is sure to impress your guests and leave them wanting more.
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