Lamb Shanks with Israeli Couscous and Cumin Yoghurt - Chef Recipe by Sebastian Vella

Ingredients

4 Lamb shanks (hindquarter)
10 mL vegetable oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
100 g Dried apricots
1 L Chicken stock
1 Cinnamon quill
200 mL Greek yoghurt
5 g Ground cumin
1 Lemon (zested and juiced)
400 g Israeli couscous
1 Eschalot, diced
50 g Pine nuts, toasted
1 bunch Mint, sliced
40 g Raisins, sliced
50 g Butter
Elk (lettuce, red and green)

Method

Heat a large fry pan and add canola oil.

Season lamb shanks and sear in pan.

Transfer to deep oven tray and add chicken stock, apricots and cinnamon quill.

Cover with aluminium foil and braise overnight in an oven at 90 degrees.

Remove lamb shank and strain liquid into a pot, discarding apricots and cinnamon quills.

Slowly reduce to 1/4 of original volume skimming occasionally.

Combine yoghurt, cumin and lemon in a bowl and season to taste.

Place a large pot containing 3l of water on the stove and bring to the boil.

Cook Israeli couscous in the boiling water for 7 minutes then strain.

Return lamb shanks to the cooking sauce and add half the butter to produce a thick glaze while slowly heating the shanks.

In a medium sized fry pan, sweat eschalot and raisins and the remaining butter until soft.

Add Israeli couscous, mint, pine nuts to the pan and season to taste.

Distribute Israeli couscous into 4 bowls, placing 1 shank on the Israeli couscous and a large spoon of yogurt next to the shank.

Garnish with fresh Elk.