SPICE-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH LENTILS

SPICE-BRAISED LAMB SHANKS WITH LENTILS image

Categories Lamb

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 24

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Ingredients

2 cups white wine
1¼ cups extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup coriander seeds
3 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
10 cloves garlic - 8 whole and 2 halved
4 cinnamon sticks
4 cardamom pods
6 carrots - 4 thinly sliced, 2 cut into 1"-thick rounds
3 ribs celery - 2 thinly sliced crosswise, 1 quartered
3 medium yellow onions - 2 thinly sliced, 1 halved
1 3" piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
1 orange, thinly sliced, ends discarded
Four 1-lb. lamb shanks, trimmed and frenched
3 tablespoons canola oil
6 cups chicken stock
1½ cups French green lentils (lentilles vertes du Puy)
4 whole cloves
4 sliced smoked bacon, quartered
1 delicata or acorn squash, cut into ¼" cubes
2 Bosc pears, peeled and cut into ¼" cubes
3 plum tomatoes, peeled and cut into ¼" cubes
1 tablespoon thinly sliced flat leaf parsley leaves

Steps:

Marinade: Combine wine, 1 cup olive oil, coriander, fennel, peppercorns, pepper flakes, whole garlic, cinnamon, cardamom, sliced carrots, sliced celery, sliced onions, ginger, and oranges in a bowl. Add lamb and toss to coat. Divide between 2 large sealable plastic bags and let marinate in refrigerator for 36-48 hours. Lamb: Heat oven to 300o F. Remove lamb from marinade. Scrape off any marinade that clings to lamb, reserving marinade. Heat canola oil in a wide pot over medium-high heat. Season lamb all over with salt and pepper. Brown lamb, turning occasionally, 12-14 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate. Add reserved marinade to pot. Cook, scraping up browned bits, 2-3 minutes. Add lamb and stock; bring to a boil. Cover pot with foil and place in oven. Braise until tender, about 2½ hours. Remove from oven and let cool for 20 minutes. Transfer lamb to a bowl and set aside. Strain broth, discarding solids. Skim off and discard fat. Reserve lamb and broth. Lentils: Put lentils and 2 cups water into a pot. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Drain and rinse lentils and return to dry pot. Press cloves into onion halves; add to pot with remaining garlic, carrots, celery, and bacon. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until lentils are tender, 25-30 minutes. Discard all aromatics (onions, garlic, carrots, celery, and bacon) and return lentils to pot with squash and 2½ cups lamb broth. Cook over medium heat until squash is tender, 4-5 minutes. Add pears and cook for 1 minute. Add tomatoes parsley, and chives. Cook until tomatoes are softened, about 1 minute more. Season the lentil mixture with salt and pepper. Serving: Reduce any remaining lamb broth slightly over medium heat. Divide lentils between 4 large bowls and top with lamb shanks. Drizzle with reduced broth and remaining olive oil.