Lamb L'Arabique

Decadent, succulent and exotic, this casserole is made with modest ingredients: lamb shanks and vegetables including lentils and chickpeas, seasoned with Middle Eastern spices.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 586 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 dash hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped green chile peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
• 2 pounds lamb shanks
• 1 large onion, quartered
• 6 cups roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cup cooked lentils

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Step 2

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute lamb shanks until lightly browned, then remove them from skillet and place in a deep casserole dish. Saute onion and garlic in skillet until tender, then stir in tomatoes, chickpeas and lentils. Season mixture with cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, chile peppers and hot pepper sauce. Mix well and allow flavors to blend over medium heat, for about 3 minutes.

Step 3

Remove browned shanks from casserole for a moment; transfer vegetable mixture from skillet to casserole dish, then replace shanks on top of vegetable mixture.

Step 4

Cover dish and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 2 hours, or until lamb is cooked through and receding from the bone.