I have a whole bunch of spice powders from Egypt that I haven't used yet. I'm not entirely sure what's in them, but it smells like a mix of cardomom, anise, pepper and god-knows-what else.
Obviously, it's not easy to get and I don't know how to replicate it, so dump in your favourites spices, or leave them out completely for a classic braised lamb shank.
Braising is actually an extremely healthy method of cooking. It requires very little oil and the meat is slow cooked to absorb the flavour of fresh herbs, spices and the braising liquid. If you skim off the oil and fat from the meat, you'll be left with a richly flavoured and sin-free dish.
Serves 2:
- 2 lamb shanks, fat trimmed
- 1 onion, diced
- 3 shallots, minced
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons spice powder
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 beef stock cube
- 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
- Freshly ground salt and pepper
- Dry red chilli flakes and paprika (if you like some heat)
Wash and pat dry the lamb shanks. Season with salt and pepper, then coat in flour.
Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over high heat and sear the lamb shanks till brown on all sides. Remove the meat and reduce heat to medium. Chuck in the onions, shallots and garlic in the remaining oil and saute till soft and translucent.
Add the spice powder and gently saute the mixture until the spices start to get fragrant. Return the lamb shanks to the pot and pour in the tomatoes and tomato paste. Add the stock cube and top up with water till the meat is just covered. For a richer flavour, you can also use red wine instead of water. But since the spices in this recipe take centrestage, I'm omitting the wine to let the spice flavour come through.
Season with the herbs, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 2 - 3 hours until meat is tender.
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