Moroccan lamb with chickpea mash

Lightly spiced, fruity Moroccan-style lamb shanks make a hearty autumn dish.

TWAM 9 April 2016

Lightly spiced, fruity Moroccan-style lamb shanks make a hearty autumn dish. The chickpea mash is an ideal accompaniment.

Moroccan lamb

2 teaspoons cumin seeds

1 tablespoon coriander seeds

3cm piece fresh ginger, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 large red onions, cut into wedges

1½ tablespoons harissa paste

400g can chopped tomatoes

500ml chicken stock, hot

1 cinnamon stick

4 lamb shanks, about 450g each

100g dried ready-to-eat apricots, halved

Pound cumin and coriander in a pestle and mortar (or whiz in mini food processor), then add ginger, garlic and salt, and work to a rough paste. Set aside. Heat oil in large flameproof casserole (large enough for lamb shanks to fit snugly) over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in spice paste and harissa and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, stock, cinnamon and shanks to casserole. Stir and bring to boil. Cover and cook in preheated 150°C oven for 2 hours, turning lamb once or twice. Stir dried fruit into casserole and return to oven, uncovered, for a further 30 minutes or until lamb is almost falling off the bone. Serve with chickpea mash. Serves 4

Chickpea mash

1 small onion, sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 x 400g cans of chickpeas

Hot paprika

Fry onions in oil over low heat, until soft. Meanwhile, place chickpeas in pan of boiling lightly salted water; simmer very gently for 5 minutes, then drain and mash with potato masher. Stir in onion with any olive oil from pan, season with a pinch of hot paprika, salt and black pepper. Serve with lamb, above. Serves 4

And to drink … An earthy red blend of grenache and mataro, such as the 2014 Hither & Yon ($25) from McLaren Vale