Slow Baked Spiced Lamb Shanks with Herb Salad & Spiced Hummus
Ingredients
For the lamb shanks:
- 1-2 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 4 lamb shanks about 400g each
- 4 red onion
- 500 ml chicken stock
- sea salt
- ground black pepper
For the spice rub:
- 1 thumb sized piece fresh turmeric
- 1 thumb sized piece fresh ginger
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- 6 tbsp rapeseed oil
For the salad:
- 1 good handful fresh coriander leaves picked
- 1 good handful flat leaf parsley leaves picked
- 1 good handful fresh mint leaves picked
- 1 good handful fresh dill sprigs picked
- 100 g rocket leaves
- 75 g toasted flaked almonds
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ lemon (juice)
To serve:
- 1 tub hummus
Equipment
Mixing bowl
Microplane
Spoon
Measuring spoons
Chopping board
Large high-sided roasting tray
Large frying pan
Wooden spoon
Tongs
Tin foil
Whisk
Instructions
- For the spice rub, peel and grate the fresh turmeric, fresh ginger and garlic, and add to a bowl.
- To that bowl, add the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne powder, smoked paprika, ground cinnamon, sesame seeds, and rapeseed oil. Mix together with a generous seasoning of sea salt and black pepper.
- Add the lamb shanks to the mixture in the bowl and toss to coat. Leave the shanks to marinate in the fridge covered with a plate or cling film for 30 minutes or ideally overnight to allow the spices to permeate the meat.
- Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Peel the red onions leaving the root intact and cut into quarters. Place into the roasting tray.
- Place a large frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add a glug of rapeseed oil and brown the lamb shanks on each side. Remove the lamb shanks from the pan and place along with the onions in a large high-sided roasting tray.
- Deglaze the pan using the chicken stock and then pour this into the base of the roasting tray.
- Cover the tray tightly with tin foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours or until completely tender. The meat should be almost falling off the bone but still holding its shape.
- Just before serving, make the salad. In a large bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil with the lemon juice, seasoning generously with salt and black pepper.
- To this, add the herbs, rocket leaves, and toasted flaked almonds and toss everything to combine.
- Serve the lamb shanks with the red onions, a dollop of hummus and the fresh herb salad.
Notes
The spice rub used for this recipe is one that I have used frequently, particularly if I can get my hands on fresh turmeric. Of course you can use dried but there is a pungency to the fresh root that doesn't out do the powder. The mix can be used to marinade chicken or fish and especially delicious if either are cooked over hot coals. Feel free to cheat and buy store bought hummus but do add this to the plate for it’s sharp creaminess. The beauty of this dish is it can be made the night before or up to a few days in advance and will improve with a little time spent in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 1282kcal