Lamb Shank Biryani

main

curry

asian

lamb

Directions

Serve the glazed lamb shanks over saffron biryani-style rice and crispy fried onions. Goes well with a raita, and/or mint chutney.

Brine (day before)

Ingredients

3 litres water
150g salt
1 stick of cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns

Directions

Bring 1 litre of the water and all the salt to the boil, stirring to dissolve.
Drop in the aromatics, remove from the heat and add the remaining water, leaving to cool to room temperature.
Either, have the butcher slice the lamb shanks into 2 cm thick slides, or if wanting to leave whole, trim the thin ends of the lamb shanks to expose the bone of each one, scraping about 1 inch of each bone.
Add the shanks and the brine to a large bowl or tub, cover and transfer to the fridge and leave for at least 8 hours or up to 24.
Remove the shanks, pat dry and discard the brine.

Braise

Ingredients

6 lamb shanks
~1.8kg lamb bones or lamb ribs
1 large onion
2 carrots
2 cloves garlic
1 portion BIC gravy
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tbsp garam masala
2 whole dried kashmari chillies

Directions

Set an oven to 180C.
Tip your lamb bones and lamb fat into a roasting tray, toss them in 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 30 mins or until a deep gold.
Once done, remove, transfer the bones to a deep casserole dish, keeping the rendered fat to one side for later.
Turn the oven down to 140C ready for braising.
Add a good splash of oil to a frying pan or skillet and on a medium heat, brown the shanks well on all sides. Transfer to the casserole dish.
Chop the vegetables into large chunks and bash the garlic cloves.
Add them to the frying pan and sauté on a medium high heat until starting to colour but not soft.
Transfer to the deep casserole dish along with the spices and water, topping up with water if necessary to cover everything.
Cover with a cartouche and a lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours or until the meat is tender but not falling apart completely.
Leave to cool in the stock before gently lifting out the shanks, leaving them in a warm place.
Strain the stock into a bowl and discard the bones and vegetables.
Remove the lamb fat and strain through a fine sieve. Set aside.

Sauce

Directions

On a medium high heat, start to reduce the sauce until you have a syrupy consistency.
Add the lamb shanks and start to turn in the glaze.
Once fully coated, set aside and keep warm.

Biryani

Ingredients

Basmati rice for 6
A large pinch of saffron, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water
3 large onions, thinly sliced
Oil for deep frying
Pine nuts or cashews, toasted (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions

Fry the onions in batches in hot oil until deeply golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt. Set aside.
Cook the basmati rice until just underdone (it will finish cooking in the oven).
In a large oven-safe dish, layer the rice and drizzle with the saffron water.
Cover tightly with foil and place in a low oven (150C) for 20–25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and fragrant.
To serve, spoon the saffron rice into bowls, place a glazed lamb shank on top, pour over the BIC curry sauce and finish with a generous handful of crispy fried onions and nuts if using.

--- title: "Lamb Shank Biryani" categories: [main, curry, asian, lamb] --- ![](featured.webp) ## Directions Serve the glazed lamb shanks over saffron biryani-style rice and crispy fried onions. Goes well with a raita, and/or mint chutney. ## Brine (day before) ### Ingredients - 3 litres water - 150g salt - 1 stick of cinnamon - 2 bay leaves - 1 tsp black peppercorns ### Directions 1. Bring 1 litre of the water and all the salt to the boil, stirring to dissolve. 2. Drop in the aromatics, remove from the heat and add the remaining water, leaving to cool to room temperature. 3. Either, have the butcher slice the lamb shanks into 2 cm thick slides, or if wanting to leave whole, trim the thin ends of the lamb shanks to expose the bone of each one, scraping about 1 inch of each bone. 4. Add the shanks and the brine to a large bowl or tub, cover and transfer to the fridge and leave for at least 8 hours or up to 24. 5. Remove the shanks, pat dry and discard the brine. ## Braise ### Ingredients - 6 lamb shanks - ~1.8kg lamb bones or lamb ribs - 1 large onion - 2 carrots - 2 cloves garlic - 1 portion BIC gravy - 1 tbsp ground cumin - 1 tsp ground coriander seeds - 1 tbsp garam masala - 2 whole dried kashmari chillies ### Directions 1. Set an oven to 180C. 2. Tip your lamb bones and lamb fat into a roasting tray, toss them in 2 tbsp of olive oil and a pinch of salt and roast for 30 mins or until a deep gold. 3. Once done, remove, transfer the bones to a deep casserole dish, keeping the rendered fat to one side for later. 4. Turn the oven down to 140C ready for braising. 5. Add a good splash of oil to a frying pan or skillet and on a medium heat, brown the shanks well on all sides. Transfer to the casserole dish. 6. Chop the vegetables into large chunks and bash the garlic cloves. 7. Add them to the frying pan and sauté on a medium high heat until starting to colour but not soft. 8. Transfer to the deep casserole dish along with the spices and water, topping up with water if necessary to cover everything. 9. Cover with a cartouche and a lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours or until the meat is tender but not falling apart completely. 10. Leave to cool in the stock before gently lifting out the shanks, leaving them in a warm place. 11. Strain the stock into a bowl and discard the bones and vegetables. 12. Remove the lamb fat and strain through a fine sieve. Set aside. ## Sauce ### Directions 1. On a medium high heat, start to reduce the sauce until you have a syrupy consistency. 2. Add the lamb shanks and start to turn in the glaze. 3. Once fully coated, set aside and keep warm. ## Biryani ### Ingredients - Basmati rice for 6 - A large pinch of saffron, steeped in 2 tbsp warm water - 3 large onions, thinly sliced - Oil for deep frying - Pine nuts or cashews, toasted (optional) - Salt to taste ### Directions 1. Fry the onions in batches in hot oil until deeply golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and season with salt. Set aside. 2. Cook the basmati rice until just underdone (it will finish cooking in the oven). 3. In a large oven-safe dish, layer the rice and drizzle with the saffron water. 4. Cover tightly with foil and place in a low oven (150C) for 20–25 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and fragrant. 5. To serve, spoon the saffron rice into bowls, place a glazed lamb shank on top, pour over the BIC curry sauce and finish with a generous handful of crispy fried onions and nuts if using.