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Couscous with braised lamb shanks
Preparation
20 minutes
Cooking time
2 hours 45 minutes
Servings
4
Ingredients
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
- 4 small lamb shanks (about 325 g each)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) flour
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground coriander
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger
- 5 ml (1 tsp) ground cumin
- 2 ml (1/2 tsp) turmeric
- 1 pinch of saffron
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pinches of hot pepper
- 4 ripe tomatoes, diced
- 1 orange (juice + 3 thin strips of zest)
- 1 L (4 cups) chicken stock
- Salt and ground black pepper
Date garnish:
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) butter
- 10 dates, pitted and cut in half
- 1 ml (1/4 tsp) cumin seeds
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) pine nuts, toasted
- 80 ml (1/3 cup) fresh coriander, chopped
Couscous:
- 1 L (4 cups) medium wheat semolina, cooked
- 45 ml (3 tbsp) butter
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Braised lamb shanks:
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the shanks.
- Remove them from the saucepan and set aside.
- In the same saucepan, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the flour and tomato paste. Stir well.
- Add the spices, tomatoes and orange zest (make sure to remove all the white from the zest as it could be bitter).
- Add the chicken stock and reserved shanks. They should be covered with stock - if not, add more water.
- Cook for about 2 1/2 hours or until the meat shreds with a fork.
- Adjust the seasoning and reduce the sauce if needed.
Date garnish:
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and cook the dates with cumin for 2 minutes.
- Add the pine nuts.
- Set aside and sprinkle with coriander.
Serving:
- Heat the couscous with butter and season well.
- Serve couscous and lamb shanks garnished with dates on separate platters placed in the middle of the table.
