Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, sliced crosswise
1 red chile, preferably Holland hot or red Thai chile, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 piece ginger (3 inches), peeled and very finely chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon oregano
2 cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
2 pinches saffron
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 cups Brown Chicken Stock, homemade or store-bought
2 cans (16 ounces each) whole peeled tomatoes
8 dried apricots, sliced
20 green and black olives, such as Moroccan or Alphonso and Cerignola
4 lamb shanks
Mint Yogurt
Preparation
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil, onion, chile, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables begin to soften, 5 to 6 minutes. Add celery, carrot, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, star anise, and saffron. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until vegetables are soft and fragrant; season with salt and pepper.
Add chicken stock, tomatoes, apricots, and olives; bring to a boil. Add lamb, making sure it is submerged halfway; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to oven and cook, rotating lamb every 30 minutes, until meat is evenly browned and falling off the bone, and sauce is thickened.
