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1
Bring lamb shanks to room temperature for 3060 minutes.
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2
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a dry pan, toast cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat for about 23 minutes, or until fragrant.
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3
Grind in a coffee or spice grinder and set aside.
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4
Heat a dutch oven over medium-high.
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5
Season lamb shanks with salt and pepper.
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6
Coat pan lightly with oil and add in lamb shanks.
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7
Brown lamb well on all sides, about 10 minutes total.
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8
Remove from the pan and set aside.
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9
Discard excess oil.
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10
While shanks brown, prepare the preserved lemon.
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11
Using a knife, separate the pith from the pulp.
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12
Thinly slice the pith and set aside.
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13
Finely chop the pulp, discarding any seeds and tough membrane.
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14
Add 2 tablespoons of fresh oil to the pan.
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15
Reduce heat to medium and add in the onion.
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16
Season with salt and pepper, and saute 35 minutes or until translucent.
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17
Stir in ginger, garlic, ground spices, cinnamon stick and cloves.
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18
Saute about 30 seconds.
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19
Stir in the preserved lemon pulp, tomatoes and saffron.
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20
Return lamb to the pan.
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21
Pour in enough chicken broth to go 3/4 of the way up the shanks.
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22
Do not add extra salt at this point as the preserved lemons are quite salty.
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23
Bring mixture to a boil.
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24
Cover and transfer the pot to the center rack of the oven.
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25
Braise for a total of 22 1/2 hours or until meat is very tender.
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26
Check braising liquid every 3060 minutes, adding water as needed, to maintain the level 3/4 of the way up the lamb.
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27
When shanks are cooked, return the pot to the stovetop, remove lamb and cover to keep warm.
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28
Discard cinnamon stick and cloves.
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29
Add apricots, olives, lemon peel and cilantro to the braising liquid.
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30
Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer about 710 minutes or until slightly thickened.
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31
Taste and adjust seasoning, if needed.
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32
If the sauce is a bit too sour from the lemon, add sugar, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the flavor is balanced.
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33
To finish the sauce, stir in butter until incorporated.
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34
Serve lamb shanks with sauce over couscous, and garnish with cilantro.
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35
Note: Preserved lemons can be found in specialty stores or online.
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36
I bought mine on Amazon.
