Main events, RecipesAdam SmithApril 20, 2018Lamb, Curry, Spicy, Indian, Meat

Lamb Shank Rogan Josh

Main events, RecipesAdam SmithApril 20, 2018Lamb, Curry, Spicy, Indian, Meat

I first came across this dish many years ago when I lived in London. My old boss used to live on the same floor as Iqbal Wahhab, owner of the Cinnamon Club in London. He waxed lyrical about the smells that used to come out of his apartment every time he came home.

One dish he recommended was the Lamb Shank Rogan Josh. He lent me the book to try it and I was sold. Fast forward 15 years and it's still a winner.

Adapted from The Cinnamon Club Cookbook.

Step 1 - The worst bit

Put lamb shanks in a large pot with a lid
Cover with boiling water, keep the lid on and boil for 20 minutes
Pull out and set aside until your sauce is ready
At this point, the smell is not great and the look of the shanks disappoints
Remember this is a marathon and not a sprint, it just gets better from here

Step 2 - Prep (Do whilst shanks are boiling)

Crush the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar and remove the husks
Get cinnamon sticks out
Puree the tomatoes
Prep the stock
Finely chop 3 onions
Put together the rest of the dried spices in a bowl

Step 3 - The sauce

In a large pot, melt a large spoonful of ghee
Add the crushed cardamom and cinnamon until it crackles
Add the onions, cooking until soft and they start to darken. Don't let them stick
If they start to dry out and want to stick, add a couple of splashes of water and stir
Add the spices, stirring and cooking for a few minutes
Add the tomatoes and salt, cook for 5 minutes
Add the yoghurt a spoonful at a time, stirring in each time

Step 4 - Bring it all together

Add 250ml of the lamb stock and stir
Put the shanks in, organising so that they are as flat as possible
Add more stock so they are almost covered. The amount will depend on the size of your pot. Don't worry if it looks really wet, the stock will be reduced later
Cut a slice down the chilli and pop it in the pot
Cover and put in the oven at 160C

Step 5 - Long and slow

Every half hour or so, pull it out and give the sauce a move around
Make sure the shanks are still well covered
After 3 hours, remove the lid and pop back in for another hour
The sauce will start to darken up and reduce a little
Every so often baste any bit of shank poking out of the liquid. Careful with the shanks as they may start to easily come away from the bone which will spoil the on-bone look if that's what you are after when serving
When you can put a pointed knife in without much resistance then they are ready

Step 6 - The best bit

Take out the shanks very gently with a large slotted spoon. You want to keep them intact if possible. Put in a bowl and cover
Pour the sauce through a sieve, pulling out the chilli and cinnamon sticks
Add the onions from the sieve back to the sauce and blend
Put this back in the pot, add a knob of butter to make it shine and for some extra richness
Serve the shanks, bone up with the sauce liberally poured over
Dress with some fresh corriander