Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks
David Scott Allen · Lamb · Main Course · Provencal Recipes · TasteGreat lamb is easy to find in Provence, most of which is organic, and grass-fed. This recipe, for Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks, brings together the best of this complex middle-eastern cuisine. The flavours of Persia combine sweet, sour, savoury, hot, floral, and earthy into a subtle taste explosion. Spice is tricky for wine pairing, but I served this lamb dish with a Côtes du Rhône (2014) red called Vinsobres, and it worked very well.
Persian-spiced Lamb Shanks
This recipe comes from David Tanis of The New York Times. Enjoy the delicious and complex flavours of Persia. I served the dish with saffron basmati rice.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs Meaty Lamb Shanks about 4
- Salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg grated
- 1 tsp cardamom ground
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp turmeric
- vegetable oil for frying
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads
- Juice of 2 limes about 4 tbsp (zest before juicing!)
- 3 tsp rose water *
- 1 large onion roughly chopped
- zest of 1 zest of Fresh Lime
- zest of 1 zest of Orange plus 1 tbsp more for garnish
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 2 bay leaves fresh
- 6 cups Hot Chicken Broth or water
- 2 tbsp parsley roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh mint roughly chopped
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from lamb shanks and season generously with salt.
- Mix together the cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, black pepper and turmeric. Sprinkle evenly over shanks and rub into meat. Let sit at room temperature at least an hour, or wrap and refrigerate overnight, then bring to room temperature.
- Place a deep, heavy pot over medium-high heat and add oil to a depth of 1/2 inch. When oil is hot, add 2 lamb shanks and fry until nicely browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside, then brown the 2 remaining shanks.
- Meanwhile, put saffron in a small bowl with lime juice, 2 teaspoons rosewater and 1/2 cup warm water. Let steep for 10 minutes. Heat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Carefully remove all but 2 tablespoons oil from Dutch oven. Add chopped onion and cook over medium heat until softened and lightly colored, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Season onion with salt, then add lime zest, orange zest, thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in saffron mixture. Lay in the lamb shanks and add the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn off heat and cover pot.
- Transfer pot to oven and bake for about 1 1/2 hours, covered, until meat is tender and beginning to fall from the bone.
- Remove lamb shanks to a deep serving dish and keep warm. Strain braising juices through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a wooden spoon to obtain all the liquid (discard thyme, bay leaves and onions).
- Skim fat, then taste and add salt if necessary. Add 1 more teaspoon rosewater, if desired. Reheat strained juices and pour over lamb shanks. Combine parsley, mint and reserved orange zest and sprinkle over top.
- Accompany with saffron basmati rice.
Notes
* make sure you use rosewater and not rose extract
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence – Montagne St. Victoire: Full-day Wine tour from Marseille
Embark on a full-day wine tour from Marseille or its surrounding cities to the captivating Coteaux d'Aix-en-Provence, the westernmost vineyards of Provence.
Book this ExperienceLegal
All rights reserved. Perfectly Provence articles and other content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten (including translations into other languages) or redistributed without written permission. For usage information, please contact us.
Syndication InformationAffiliate Information
As an Amazon Associate, this website earns from qualifying purchases. Some recipes, posts and pages may have affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, we receive a small commission that does not impact your price. Thank you in advance for supporting our work to maintain Perfectly Provence.
Next Post
Tips for Renting a Car in ProvenceRelated Provence Articles
Two delicious French Winter Salads
March 9, 2016
Contributor blog post by Jeany Cronk @MirabeauWine: Somehow salads get short shrift in winter, yet this is probably the time when we need vitamins the most to get through the cold period. I enjoy eating and making salads all year round and like to add richer ingredients in autumn and winter because the cold also …
Recipe for Sisteron Braised Lamb with Orange and Fennel it’s Delicious
November 14, 2023
When the sun sets early on cold days, nothing is quite like the inviting aroma of Sisteron braised lamb simmered in the oven. Orange and fennel combine with the meat for a warm, zesty flavour. In Provence, lamb from Sisteron in the Alpes de Haute Provence is considered some of the best in the region. …
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shank (Souris d’Agneau)
December 6, 2019
Slow-cooked lamb (agneau) dishes are typical on menus in Provence. You see sheep herds grazing in farmers fields or often free-range in the hills of the Alpilles, Luberon, Var and Haute Alpes de Provence.…
Provencal Lamb Daube Inspired by Gui Gedda
February 8, 2021
Learning to cook traditional Provencal dishes with the legendary Gui Gedda is no exception. If you are lucky enough to find a copy of his culinary masterpiece Cooking School Provence you will glean wonders from the man that chefs around the world refer to as the Pope or Marcel Pagnol of Provencal cuisine. Gedda’s approach …
2 Comments
The lime and orange zest added a new element to the shanks- one of my favorite shank recipe.
Thank you for writing. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe.