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Marrakesh lamb tangia
Serves 2 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 2tsp cumin seeds
- 4 preserved lemons
- 6 garlic cloves
- handful coriander, leaves and stalks
- handful flat-leaf parsley, leaves and stalks
- small pinch saffron strands
- 1tsp ras el hanout
- 25g butter
- 3tbsp olive oil
- 2 lamb shanks (about 400g each)
To serve
- green olives, tossed in harissa
- Moroccan bread, or crusty rolls
- cumin salt
- mint tea
Method
Preheat the oven to 250C/475F/ Gas 9. Toast cumin seeds in a dry pan over a low heat until fragrant. Cool and grind to a powder.
Put the whole lemons, garlic, coriander, parsley, saffron, ras el hanout, butter, oil and 350ml water into an ovenproof casserole, big enough to t the lamb shanks snugly, then add the ground cumin seeds. Season well and mix. Add the lamb shanks, pushing them down into the liquid. Cut a circle of baking paper with a diameter that will t inside the casserole. Scrunch it up under cold water, smooth out and lay snugly over the meat. Cover with a large sheet of foil and top with the lid, scrunching the sides of the foil together to seal the rim. This will help keep as much moisture in as possible, ensuring that the meat is meltingly tender.
Transfer the casserole to the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 170C/325F/ Gas 3. Cook for around 5 hours, or until the meat pulls apart easily at the touch of a fork.
Remove the casserole lid and heat on the hob over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes so that the sauce thickens a little. Remove from the heat, cover with the lid and set aside to rest for around 10 minutes. Pour off the excess fat and transfer everything onto a warm serving dish. Discard the herbs and serve immediately with the harissa olives, bread, cumin salt and mint tea.
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