Braised Lamb Shanks with Carrots, leeks, and Coriander Sauce
Lamb shanks are given a Moroccan treatment in this dish, with a sauce that combines coriander, marjoram, and blood orange slices, and uses couscous as a thickener.
Ingredients
- Leeks - 4
- Lamb shanks - 4
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Vegetable Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Carrots - 3, peeled and cut into large chunks
- Garlic - 3 small cloves, sliced
- Ginger - 1 tablespoon finely julienned peeled fresh
- Dry Red Wine - 2 cups
- Chicken Stock - 1 cup
- Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon
- Tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- Marjoram - 1 tablespoon, minced fresh
- Blood Orange - 1 unpeeled, thinly sliced
- Couscous - 2 tablespoons, steamed
- Garnish
- Parsley - 2 tablespoons, minced fresh
- Marjoram - Fresh sprigs
Instructions
To prepare the lamb: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Trim the root ends and cut the tops off the leeks, leaving an 8-inch length. Split the leeks in half through the root end, cutting 6 inches toward the top. Rinse well to remove any dirt from between the leaves.
Trim the shanks of all excess fat and season liberally with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof saute pan or skillet over high heat, heat the oil and saute the shanks until they are evenly browned all over, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off any excess fat from the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the wine, stock, coriander seeds, tomato paste, marjoram, and orange, and bring the liquid to a boil. Cover and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone.
Remove the pan from the oven, arrange the lamb and vegetables on a warm serving platter, and place the pan with the juices over medium heat. Add the couscous to the juices and stir until the couscous slightly thickens the sauce. Ladle some of the sauce over the meat and vegetables, and garnish the platter with the parsley and marjoram sprigs.
