MOROCCAN-STYLE LAMB SHANKS WITH POTATOES AND PEAS

Moroccan-Style Lamb Shanks with Potatoes and Peas image

Number Of Ingredients 12

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2 teaspoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 fat garlic clove, peeled and slivered
1 slice fresh ginger, about the size of a 25-cent piece
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads
2 lamb shanks
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 or 4 small new potatoes
1/2 cup fresh peas or frozen, defrosted
2 strips Preserved Lemon (page 241), pulp scraped off and peel julienned
3 or 4 green olives, pitted and quartered
About 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley and cilantro, if you have it

Steps:

Heat the oil in a small heavy pot or skillet, and stir in the onion, garlic, ginger, and saffron; then lay in the lamb shanks. Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat, stirring frequently and turning the shanks over. Pour in enough water to cover, and sprinkle with about 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grindings of pepper. Cover, and continue to cook over low heat for 1 1/2-2 hours, until the shanks are very tender; check the level of liquid, and add more water if necessary so that it just covers the shanks. Add the potatoes, and simmer for 20 minutes; then add the peas, preserved lemon, and olives, and cook another 4 or 5 minutes. Fish out one of the shanks and the potatoes, and place on a warm plate; then, with a fine-mesh scoop, pick up all the peas and seasonings and scatter them over the meat. Pour on some of the cooking sauce (you'll only use about half of it), and sprinkle the parsley and cilantro on top.
Variations
I've used lima beans instead of peas, as well as a handful of fava beans, when I have them in the garden; both take a little longer to cook than the peas, so allow for that. If you don't have preserved lemon, either store-bought or homemade, use a couple of slivers of fresh lemon peel, ﬁnely julienned. And don't worry if you don't have fresh cilantro-parsley alone is ﬁne. Be sure to save the rest of the cooking sauce.