Moroccan Spiced Lamb Or Lamb Shanks W Lemon Prunes And Saffron Recipes

MOROCCAN BRAISED LAMB SHANKS

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 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.

MOROCCAN SPICED LAMB OR LAMB SHANKS W. LEMON, PRUNES AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Season lamb with salt and pepper, dust lightly with flour.
• Heat half oil in pan and brown lamb. (Do this in batches if necessary so the meat does not "stew").
• Remove lamb and set aside.
• Heat remainder of oil and brown onions.
• Add garlic, cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika and harissa paste and cook 2 minutes.
• Add remaining flour, sugar, stock, lemon and tomatoes.
• Bring to boil.
• Return lamb to dish, bring back to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes covered.
• Uncover and simmer a further 1 hour turning meat occasionally.
• Combine saffron with a little hot water to infuse.
• Skim excess fat from surface increase heat to medium-high and add saffron water.
• Cook further 30 minutes.
• In last 5 minutes of cooking add prunes.
• Sauce should be thick and meat very tender.
• Sprinkle over fresh coriander and serve.

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat and gristle from meat and cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Place meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron; sprinkle over the meat and set aside.
• On a cutting board, mince together the orange zest, cilantro leaves, garlic, and salt until you have a paste. Add to the meat along with the orange juice and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Transfer the mixture to a heavy pot, add the onions, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer (or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven) until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add olives and, if using, preserved lemon to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes more, then serve.
• Wash a 1-pint glass-canning jar and its lid with hot soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Cut 6 of the lemons, 1 at a time, into quarters through 1 end without cutting all the way through the other end. You want the lemon to open out like a flower, but not to separate. Place the lemon on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper, spread quarters open and sprinkle flesh with a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt; put the lemon into the jar. Continue with remaining lemons, sprinkling salt on each. Pack the lemons in the jar tightly, filling it to the top (you may need more or less than 6 lemons, depending on their size). When you reach the top, lift the parchment and pour the excess salt from it into the jar of lemons.
• Slide the bay leaves down opposite sides of the jar. Juice the remaining lemons 1 by 1, adding juice to the jar, until it reaches the top. Seal jar, shake well, and let stand at room temperature, shaking well every 12 hours, for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer jar to the refrigerator, continuing to shake every day. Lemons are preserved after 3 weeks and keep up to several months in the refrigerator.
• To use lemons, pull out as needed and scrape away pulp. Dice peel and use as a condiment.

MOROCCAN LAMB STEW WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Instant pot: Saute meat and spices, then onion. 30 minutes on high with lamb and onion, then 15 minutes on high with veggies and prunes. . Spread lamb on a large sheet tray and pat dry. In a small bowl, stir together coriander, cumin, ginger, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, then sprinkle over lamb and toss well to coat.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Arrange 1/3 of lamb in pot in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer lamb to a large bowl; set aside. Repeat with rest of lamb, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil for each batch.
• Add onions to pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until softened and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in broth, scraping up any browned bits. Return lamb and its accumulated juices to pot. Add 2 cups water, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt; stir well and bring to a boil. Cover pot with lid and cook in oven until lamb is just tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Uncover pot; stir in chickpeas, dried fruit, and carrots. (Add more water if stew seems dry.) Cover pot; continue to cook until lamb is very tender, about 45 minutes. If desired, uncover pot and cook until thickened, 20 to 25 minutes more. About 15 minutes before serving, prepare couscous following package directions.
• Remove stew from oven; discard cinnamon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle stew over couscous; serve.

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.