DELICIOUS COOKERY

ARABIC LAMB SHANKS WITH GRIDDLED PITTA BREADS

Try your hand at Alex Hollywood’s favourite family recipes, from these slow-cooked lamb shanks to a raspberry brioche pudding

The work is all done for you in the slow cook of this lamb dish – delicious comfort food after a long day.

Serves 4

1tbsp olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped 3tsp ground cumin

1tsp ground nutmeg

1tsp black peppercorns, crushed

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp ground cinnamon

Salt

2 garlic cloves, chopped 4cm (1½in) piece of fresh root ginger, grated

4 lamb shanks, excess fat trimmed

500ml (18fl oz) lamb or chicken stock

To serve

4-6 pittas

40g (1½oz) butter A handful of coriander and mint leaves, chopped 2tbsp pomegranate seeds 60g (2¼oz) natural yoghurt

Preheat the oven to 150°C/ fan 130°C/gas 2. Heat the oil in a deep casserole dish with a lid, and fry the onion until starting to brown. Stir in the cumin, nutmeg, peppercorns, turmeric, cinnamon and a good pinch of salt. Add the garlic and ginger, stir, then add the lamb shanks and stock. Cover with the lid and cook in the oven for 3 hours.

Heat a griddle pan. Brush the pittas with butter and griddle until blackened lines appear on both sides. Keep warm. Serve the lamb shanks with the chopped coriander and mint and the pomegranate seeds sprinkled on top, the natural yoghurt, and the griddled pittas.