Moroccan-style lamb shanks with khobz bread
- Prepare
- overnight
- Cook
- 1 to 2 hours
- Serve
- Serves 2
Warmly spiced, melt in the mouth lamb shanks come together with khobz - a delicious, traditional Moroccan bread.
Ingredients
For the lamb shanks
- 2 lamb shanks
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2cm/¾in fresh ginger, grated
- 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp paprika
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 litre/1¾ pints chicken or lamb stock
- 6 preserved lemons
- pinch saffron
- 2 green chillies, finely chopped
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- 150g/5½oz golden raisins
- 10g/1/3oz fresh coriander, chopped
- 10g/1/3oz fresh parsley, chopped
For the khobz bread
- 440g/1lb strong flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 120g/4½oz semolina, plus extra for dusting
- 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 7g/¼oz dried yeast
- 20g/¾oz black onion seeds
- 20g/¾oz sesame seeds
- pinch salt
Method
To make the lamb shanks, rub the lamb shanks all over with the cumin, ginger, garlic, turmeric and paprika. Marinade in the spices for at least an hour or overnight if you have time, in the fridge. Bring the shanks back to room temperature before cooking.
When ready to cook, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and cook the lamb shanks until well coloured on each side. This will take 3-5 minutes.
Transfer to a slow cooker or large pot and add the stock, preserved lemons, saffron and chillies. Cook for 1 hour before adding the dates and raisins. Continue to cook for another hour or until the lamb is soft.
Meanwhile, to make the khobz bread, add the flour, salt and semolina to the bowl of a free standing mixer. Add the oil, 300ml/10fl oz warm water, sugar and yeast and mix well to form a dough.
Transfer to an oiled bowl and cover for 1½ hours to prove.
Knock back and divide into two. Roll into rounds and prod with fingers. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle over the onion and sesame seeds and some salt.
Dust a baking sheet with semolina and place the rounds on. Cover loosely to rise again for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8. Place a pizza stone into the oven to preheat.
Once hot, place the rounds on the pizza stone. Throw some water into the oven to create steam and bake for 20 minutes or so.
Stir the coriander and parsley into the lamb and serve with the warm khobz bread.
Spoon the lamb into serving dishes and serve the bread alongside.
