This recipe can easily be adjusted to serve from two to 8….

For 2 to 4 Lamb shanks

I sometimes use just one large shank for two. I use the recipe below as it’s difficult to reduce it using a can of tomatoes and chick peas. The balance of the sauce can be used to bake eggs in Shakshouka style or add it to a soup.

You can use the same recipe for a leg of lamb. I would use the oven method for a leg as it won’t fit into the pressure cooker. The garlic can be cut into slices & the meat slit to accommodate the slivers of garlic.

You need

20ml oil

1 large onion, roughly chopped

15ml seasoned flour per shank (flour seasoned with salt, pepper and a pinch of dried oregano)

1 can chopped tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, crushed

15ml Ras el Hanout or Commercial Moroccan seasoning (or a blend of coriander ground coriander seeds, cumin, ginger, all spice, cloves, cardamom, and cinnamon)

5ml cumin seeds

10ml smoked paprika

300ml lamb stock (When I travel to the UK or Europe, I buy Lamb stock cubes) If you don’t have lamb stock, then use beef stock; If oven baking, allow extra stock for topping up

1 can chick peas, drained

To prepare

I find that it best to cook lamb shanks in the pressure cooker, but if you don’t have one, slow over roasting works well. Pressure cooker takes 30 minutes, but the oven will take about 90 minutes.

Using the pressure cooker or stove to oven pan:

Heat the oil, add the onion to sauté it until it is pale golden. Remove the onion and set it aside.

Coat the lamb with the seasoned flour. Brown the shanks.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the chick peas

Pressure cook

Pressure cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes. Check the shanks, the meat must be tender and virtually falling off the bone. If it required more cooking, then pressure cook on high for 5 minute intervals until tender. I cooked a huge shank and it was done in 15 minutes!

OR

Oven roast

Cover with foil or a lid. Oven-bake starting at 200°C for 30 minutes, then turning down to 150°C for about 60 minutes or until the lamb is tender. Check every 30 minutes and top up with stock if necessary.

Once done, dish the meat out onto a serving platter. Add the chick peas to the sauce.

If the sauce needs slight thickening, you may do so by using 5ml potato flour mixed with 20ml stock or water. Bring the sauce to the boil, to thicken and heat the chick peas. Pour the hot sauce over the meat.

Serve with couscous, mashed potatoes or rice