Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 lamb shanks
• 2 onions
• thickly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves
• finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 600ml/20fl oz chicken stock
• large pinch saffron
• soaked in warm water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp honey
• 12 dried figs
• 1 tbsp preserved lemon
• finely chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• few parsley leaves
• few mint leaves

Directions

• Heat the olive oil in a large casserole. Add the shanks
• two at a time
• and brown well on all sides. Remove the shanks from the casserole and add the onions. Fry for several minutes until starting to take on some colour
• then add the garlic and spices. Cook for a couple more minutes.
• Pour in the chicken stock
• saffron and soaking water. Return the shanks to the saucepan and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil
• then turn down and cover.
• Cook for around two hours
• or until the shanks are tender. Remove the shanks from the casserole and skim off the excess fat. Return the shanks to the casserole and add the honey
• figs and preserved lemon.
• Continue to cook on a medium heat
• uncovered
• for a further half an hour
• to soften the figs and reduce down the volume of liquid. Stir through the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Add salt and pepper
• to taste.
• Serve the tagine garnished with parsley and mint leaves.