Moroccan Lamb Shanks with Apricots

• 2 whole Lamb Shanks (about 1 1/2 Lbs)
• 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
• 1/2 teaspoons Coriander Seeds
• 1/4 cups Vegetable Oil
• 1 whole Small Cinnamon Stick
• 3 whole Cloves
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1 Tablespoon Finely Grated Ginger
• 2 whole Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 whole Preserved Lemon, Rinsed (See Note)
• 1 cup Canned Diced Tomatoes In Juices
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 3 cups Low Sodium Chicken Broth, Or As Needed
• 1/2 cups Dried Apricots
• 1/4 cups Whole Green Olives
• 1- 1/2 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar, Or To Taste
• 1 Tablespoon Butter
• 2 Tablespoons Cilantro, Chopped Plus More For Garnish

1. Bring lamb shanks to room temperature for 3060 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a dry pan, toast cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat for about 23 minutes, or until fragrant.
3. Grind in a coffee or spice grinder and set aside.
4. Heat a dutch oven over medium-high.
5. Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
6. Coat pan lightly with oil and add in lamb shanks.
7. Brown lamb well on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
8. Remove from the pan and set aside.
9. Discard excess oil.
10. While shanks brown, prepare the preserved lemon.
11. Using a knife, separate the pith from the pulp.
12. Thinly slice the pith and set aside.
13. Finely chop the pulp, discarding any seeds and tough membrane.
14. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh oil to the pan.
15. Reduce heat to medium and add in the onion.
16. Season with salt and pepper, and saute 35 minutes or until translucent.
17. Stir in ginger, garlic, ground spices, cinnamon stick and cloves.
18. Saute about 30 seconds.
19. Stir in the preserved lemon pulp, tomatoes and saffron.
20. Return lamb to the pan.
21. Pour in enough chicken broth to go 3/4 of the way up the shanks.
22. Do not add extra salt at this point as the preserved lemons are quite salty.
23. Bring mixture to a boil.
24. Cover and transfer the pot to the center rack of the oven.
25. Braise for a total of 22 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
26. Check braising liquid every 3060 minutes, adding water as needed, to maintain the level 3/4 of the way up the lamb.
27. When shanks are cooked, return the pot to the stovetop, remove lamb and cover to keep warm.
28. Discard cinnamon stick and cloves.
29. Add apricots, olives, lemon peel and cilantro to the braising liquid.
30. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 710 minutes or until slightly thickened.
31. Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
32. If the sauce is a bit too sour from the lemon, add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the flavor is balanced.
33. To finish the sauce, stir in butter until incorporated.
34. Serve lamb shanks with sauce over couscous, and garnish with cilantro.
35. Note: Preserved lemons can be found in specialty stores or online.
36. I bought mine on Amazon.

cumin seeds, coriander seeds, vegetable oil, cinnamon, onion, ginger, garlic, lemon, tomatoes, saffron, chicken broth, green olives, light brown sugar, butter, cilantro

Taken from tastykitchen.com/recipes/main-courses/moroccan-lamb-shanks-with-apricots/ (may not work)