Slow Cooked Veal Shanks with Dates & Fluffy Couscous

Slow Cooked Veal with Couscous

An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella

• 4x veal shins or shanks

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1.5 teaspoons Herbies Tunisian seasoning (or any similar type of seasoning)

• oil for browning

• 1 cup white wine

• 2 cups of beef stock

• 4 thick strips of lemon zest (I used 1/2 a lemon but found that too sour)

• 6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

• 400g potatoes, peeled and cubed

• 10 pitted dates

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 cup couscous

• 1 teapoons salt

• 1 tablespoon butter

Step 1 - Adjust racks in oven to accommodate the height Tagine or baking tray. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Step 2 - Preheat frying pan or tagine  on the hob and in a medium bowl, mix flour and African seasoning mix. Dip veal pieces in flour mix and shake off excess. Add oil to frying pan and brown veal pieces.

Step 3 - Add garlic cloves, lemon zest, stock, potatoes and white wine.

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Step 4 - Place tagine in oven with the lid on and leave to cook for 1 hour. If using a baking tray, cut out a parchment lid the same size of the tray and press down firmly. Cover with foil and leave to slow cook for 1 hour.

Step 5 - After an hour, check  the meat and stir so that everything gets cooked evenly. Add dates to the mixture and submerge so that they get nice and soft. Cook for another 40 minutes to an hour. Stir in honey.

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Step 6 - Cook couscous. Place a kettle of water to boil. In a small saucepan empty 1 cup of uncooked couscous. Add 1 teaspoon salt and then 1 1/4 cup of  boiling water. Place lid on and sit for 5 minutes. Add tablespoon of butter and using a fork stir this into the couscous fluffing it up.

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