Ingredients
Date and herb paste
Lamb shanks with sumac
Couscous with eggplant
Method
Lamb Lamb shanks with sumac and mint and date stuffing
1.Preheat slow cooker on high. Put everything for the date and herb paste in the bowl of a food processor and blend to a sticky but still lumpy-ish paste.
2.Lightly oil the inside of the slow cooker bowl. Trim any loose fat from the lamb shanks then make 4-5 deep incisions in each.
3.Stuff in some of the date paste. Form pockets in the shanks by slipping the fingers between gaps in the meat and stuff in the remaining paste. Mix flour, sumac and salt and rub into shanks.
4.Put tomatoes, red wine and water in the slow cooker and stir. Add lamb shanks, positioning the bones uppermost where possible. Grind over plenty of black pepper and add any loose flour and sumac. Cover with a lid and cook on high for 4 hours.
5.If including peas, put them in a sieve and rinse under running hot water until they feel warm. Add peas to slow cooker for final 20 minutes, or cook until they are piping hot.
6.To serve, sprinkle lamb shanks with parsley and accompany with a bowl of couscous.
Couscous with eggplant
7.Cut eggplant into cubes. Heat olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add eggplant cubes, toss, cook for 2-3 minutes, or until lightly browned, toss once more, then cover with a lid and turn heat to low. Cook for about 10 minutes, until tender and browned. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
8.Pour couscous into a saucepan of salted boiling water. Bring to the boil, lower heat and cook for about 15 minutes, until cooked but still al dente. Drain.
9.Have dressing ready by whisking together extra virgin olive oil, salt, lemon zest and juice, mustard and shallot. Toss dressing with couscous. Put eggplant on top, sprinkle with parsley and give 2-3 stirs and serve with lamb shanks.
