Shredded Lamb Shank with Maple Syrup and Pomegranate Molasses

The combination of tangy pomegranate molasses and sweet maple syrup is just divine, there's so much natural chemistry between the two ingredients and it elevates the braised lamb to a whole new level.

Olive oil

2 lamb shanks

salt and pepper

2 carrots, peeled and chopped into small cubes

1 onion, chopped finely

1 celery, chopped finely

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 cup full-bodied red wine

Beef broth

1-2 sprigs fresh rosemary

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350C/180F.

Generously salt and pepper lamb shanks, then sear in dutch oven (or le creuset) till brown on all sides. Remove and let it rest on a plate.

Saute carrots, onion, celery and garlic for 5-10 minutes till the vegetables soften.

Add red wine to deglaze pot, then add rosemary, bay leaves and lamb shanks. Top off with beef broth so that the lambs are 3/4 submerged in liquid, then bring it to a boil. Once it boils, cover the top with two layers of foil, place the lid over the pot and bake in oven for 2 hours, until meat is falling off the bone.

Remove the vegetables and lamb and bring the liquid to a boil until it's been reduced by half and is of a thick, syrupy consistency. Add sugar, pomegranate molasses and maple syrup, and season to taste.

Shred lamb, then return it to the pot and let it simmer for 10 minutes so that the meat is glazed over. Serve with Greek yogurt. The braise tastes even better a day or two later. Stuff leftovers in a sandwich and grill it in a panini press.

Roast Leg of Lamb

1 2.5lb lamb leg, bone removed

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, minced finely

Zest of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons anchovy paste

Black pepper

6 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly

1 onion, quartered

Greek Yogurt, for serving

Take lamb and cut slits around the meat, tucking the garlic slivers into the small holes.

Blend the rest of the ingredients together, pour over lamb and marinate for at least 30 minutes, preferably overnight.

Set temperature to 425F. Arrange two racks in the oven- a middle wire rack to hold the lamb and a lower rack to hold a roasting pan with which to catch the drippings. Toss the onions in some olive oil and salt and pepper, then place in a roasting pan.

Remove lamb from marinade, pat dry and place on middle wire rack. Set the roasting pan with onions underneath the lamb so as to catch all the drippings. Cooking the meat on the wire rack is faster than cooking the roast in a roasting pan. If you are cooking the lamb in a roasting pan, rack or not, start the roast at 450°F and then reduce the heat to 325°F. Put some water into the roasting pan from time to time so that the juices don't dry out.

Roast lamb for 15 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 300F and roast the lamb for 30-35 minutes, usually 10-12 minutes per pound. After cooked, insert meat thermometre to make sure lamb is cooked through, 140-145F for medium rare. When lamb is finished, remove from the oven and cover roast with a foil.

Let it sit for 15-20 minutes before carving. Strain droppings from roasting pan into a saucepan, and boil for 5 minutes until thick and glazey. Pour over lamb and serve with Greek Yogurt.

Serves 5-6

Beef and Lamb Meatballs baked in Tahini

This dish, which comes from the Ottolenghi cookbook, makes an unusual use of tahini, adding it with meatballs to create a creamy, sesame consistency that tastes rich when smothered with the meatballs and some greek yogurt. This dish and variations on it, common in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, makes this a peculiar and bold dish. I did not have beef or lamb, so I replaced it with minced pork meat.

35g stale white bread, crusts removed

300g minced beef

300g minced lamb

3 garlic cloves, crushed

35g flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon

1 free-range egg

light olive oil for frying

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 lemon, quartered

Greek Yogurt to serve

Tahini sauce

150ml tahini paste

150ml water

70ml white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

pinch of salt

First make the tahini sauce. Whisk together all ingredients until it turns smooth and creamy, with a thick sauce-like consistency. You may need to add more water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200C. Soak bread in cold water for 2-3 minutes, then squeeze water our and crumble bread into mixing bowl. Add meat, garlic, parsley, salt, spices and egg and mix well with your hands.

Shape meat into balls the size of golf balls. Heat olive oil in frying pan and fry in small batches till golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Soak the meatballs with kitchen paper towels, then place on oven for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove from oven, pour the tahini sauce over and into the roasting pan, and roast for another 8-10 minutes. The tahini will take on just a bit of color and thicken up. The meatballs should be cooked through.

Transfer to individual plates, garnish liberally with parsley and zest and serve at once, generously squeezing lemon juice over meatballs.

A plate of the meatballs with Greek yogurt, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes tossed with basil and olive oil, fried haloumi chips and leftover rice pilaf.

Braised Lamb Shanks with Pomegranate Molasses

I had auntie Shahla bring back pomegranate molasses for me from Bahrain. While it can often be too tart, adding it to the sauce gives it a tangy edge that is balanced out by the sugar and the lemon juice, whose acidity somehow softens the degree of the pomegranate's tartness. The result is a rich and robust sauce that is intense in flavour and absolutely delicious.

2 tablespoons canola oil

Four lamb shoulder chops or shanks

2 cups dry red wine

1 cup water

1 tablespoon ground cumin

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, peeled and sliced into 1 inch rings

1 large white onion, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup Medjool dates (or other types of dried dates)

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

salt and pepper

Juice of 1/2 lemon

Greek yogurt

Preheat oven to 350F.

Add 2 tablespoon oil to hot pan and brown 2 lambs on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.

Pour off fat and add 1/4 cup of red wine, scraping up sugars stuck to bottom of pan. Strain over lamb, then wipe clean. Repeat with the other two lambs.

Once browned, sprinkle cumin over lamb, then return lamb into heavy, oven-proofed pan.

Add garlic, carrot, remaining 1 1/2 cups wine, dates and onion into pan and top it off with enough water so that the liquid reaches half way up the chops.

Add twice with baking foil and seal tightly, then place cover over it and braise for about 3 hours, until the meat begins to fall apart when poked.

Remove lamb and carrots, then strain juices into a bowl. Refrigerate sauce and skim off fat that rises to surface.

Boil liquid over medium-high heat for about 20 minutes or until reduced by half.

Stir in pomegranate molasses and butter, if using. Season with salt and pepper, then add lemon juice and sugar.

Return lamb and carrots into the pan with the sauce, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes, turning lambs to glaze and coat it with the sauce.

Serve with Greek yogurt.

Rack of Lamb with Rosemary, Anchovies and Pistachio

I think I've been rolling out everything and anything Middle Eastern because Auntie Shahla's arriving tomorrow morning! The pictures don't do this recipe justice, and I apologize for that. This was heavenly.

1 rack of lamb, about 8-10 pieces, fat removed and sliced into 2-3 pieces

3 anchovies, washed and chopped

4 sprigs of rosemary

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, minced

15g pistachio, toasted and grounded
1/2 C white wine

salt and pepper

Greek Yogurt for serving

Mix ingredients and marinade lamb for at least 1 hour, preferably over night.

Preheat oven to 400F/200C. Heat oil in an oven-proof pan, then brown lamb pieces for about 5 minutes until nicely seared. Add wine into pan, the place in oven to roast.

Place lamb in over for 15 minutes for medium rare or longer depending on size desired doneness. Let sit for at 5-10 minutes before eating, as it will continue to cook. Serve with yogurt.