Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
over 2 hours
Serves
Serves 2
Ingredients
For the lamb shanks
- 2 lamb shanks (about 350g/12oz each)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 2 pinches saffron
- 2 tsp cumin seeds
- 100g/3½oz hopped tomatoes or passata
- 250ml/9fl oz chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the roasted sweet potatoes
- 4 sweet potatoes, peeled
- 1–2 tsp dried red chilli flakes
- sea salt
- olive oil, for drizzling
For the spiced crisps
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 sheets brick or filo pastry
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
Method
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Season the lamb with the salt and pepper. Add the oil to a casserole dish and place over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and braise for 10 minutes, or until browned all over.
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Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Add the onions and garlic to the casserole dish, cook for 5 minutes and then add the saffron, cumin seeds, tomatoes and stock. Season well and bring to the boil. Cover and cook for 2 hours. Increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
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For the roasted sweet potatoes, place the potatoes on a baking tray lined with kitchen foil. Sprinkle over the chilli flakes and season with salt. Drizzle with olive oil, seal the potatoes in the foil and bake for 45 minutes. Leave the oven on.
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For the spiced crisps, crush the garlic, peppercorns and coriander seeds in a mortar. Stir in the honey and oil to make a paste. Brush this mixture onto the brick sheets. Transfer the pastry sheets to a baking tray and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until crisp. Dust with the paprika then leave to cool and cut into strips.
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Serve the lamb shanks with the roasted sweet potatoes on the side and garnished with the spiced crisps.