Moroccan Inspired Lamb Shanks

Slow-cooked lamb shanks braised with warm spices, chickpeas, carrots and sweet potato in a rich tomato sauce. Serve with Lemon Herb Couscous and cool lemon yoghurt for a generous winter dinner made for slow afternoons and full plates.

A pot of lamb shanks slowly braising in cumin, coriander and cinnamon fills the kitchen with the warmest kind of anticipation. The lamb becomes deeply tender while chickpeas, carrots and sweet potato settle into the rich, warmly spiced sauce. I love serving these over Lemon Herb Couscous with cool yoghurt and a little fresh lemon alongside. It is generous food, built for the days when dinner is allowed to take its time.

Prep: 25 min · Cook: 200 min · Serves: 4 · Cuisine: Mediterranean · Category: Lamb

Ingredients

Moroccan Inspired Lamb Shanks

• 4 lamb shanks, approximately 300–400 g each
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fine salt, divided
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large brown onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric, optional
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 400 g crushed tomatoes
• 500 ml beef or chicken stock
• 2 medium carrots, cut into thick pieces
• 500 g sweet potato, peeled and cut into 4–5 cm pieces
• 400 g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C fan-forced or 180°C conventional. Pat the lamb shanks thoroughly dry with paper towel, then season all over with 1½ teaspoons of the salt and plenty of black pepper.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb shanks well on all sides, working in batches if needed, until deeply golden in places. Allow around 8–10 minutes per batch. Transfer the shanks to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring and scraping the browned lamb from the base of the pot, until softened and lightly golden.
4. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, cinnamon and turmeric, if using. Cook for 30–45 seconds, stirring continuously, until fragrant.
5. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring it through the onion and spices until slightly darkened.
6. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and stock. Add the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir well, scraping the base of the pot. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
7. Return the lamb shanks to the pot and turn them once through the sauce. Arrange them snugly in the braising liquid. The sauce should come roughly halfway to two-thirds of the way up the meaty part of the shanks.
8. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hour 45 minutes.
9. Carefully remove the pot from the oven. Turn or reposition the lamb shanks, then add the carrots and sweet potato around the lamb. Push the vegetables gently into the sauce without stirring vigorously.
10. Cover and return to the oven for 35–45 minutes, or until a small knife slides easily into the thickest part of the lamb with very little resistance and the meat is beginning to pull back from the bone.
11. Carefully lift the tender lamb shanks from the pot and transfer them to a tray or large plate. Use two large spoons or a wide spatula to support the meat, rather than lifting the shanks by the bone.
12. Add the chickpeas to the sauce and gently distribute them around the vegetables. Return the pot to the oven uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the chickpeas are heated through and the sauce has thickened to a rich, spoonable consistency.
13. Remove the pot from the oven. Stir through 1 tablespoon lemon juice and taste. Add a little more lemon only if the sauce needs further brightness, then adjust the salt if needed.
14. Return the lamb shanks to the sauce briefly to warm through if necessary, handling them carefully. Serve one shank per person with plenty of chickpeas, vegetables and sauce.

Serving Suggestion

These lamb shanks are especially lovely served over Lemon Herb Couscous, with a spoonful of plain Greek-style yoghurt, finely grated lemon zest and a lemon wedge alongside. Warm Greek Yoghurt Flatbreads on the side are perfect for scooping up the last of the sauce. Spoon the chickpeas, vegetables and rich braising sauce generously around the lamb.

Storage Notes

Allow the lamb and sauce to cool before transferring to airtight containers. Refrigerate for up to 3 days.

For freezer portions, remove the lamb from the bones and divide the meat between containers with the chickpeas, vegetables and plenty of sauce. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating gently until piping hot.

Make Ahead Notes

The lamb shanks can be cooked a day ahead and gently reheated in their sauce. The flavour settles beautifully overnight, and any excess fat that firms on the surface can be easily removed before reheating.

Prepare the Lemon Herb Couscous fresh for serving.

Notes

Choose lamb shanks of a similar size so they reach tenderness at roughly the same time. Very large shanks may need a little longer before the vegetables are added.

Brown the lamb deeply before building the sauce. Those caramelised areas add savoury depth to the braising liquid and give the finished lamb its rich colour.

Cut the sweet potato into large pieces. Smaller cubes soften too quickly during the braise and can disappear into the sauce.

Once a knife slides easily into the lamb, remove the shanks before finishing the chickpeas and sauce. Lamb shanks move quickly from tender to collapsing from the bone at this stage.

Leftovers are particularly well suited to freezer portions with the lamb pulled from the bone and mixed through the sauce.

The Grace Table Tip

Use two large spoons or a wide spatula to lift tender lamb shanks from the pot, supporting the meat from underneath. Lifting them by the bone can pull beautifully tender meat apart before it reaches the plate.