Cordero chukulati – slow and low lamb shanks and chocolate

Not yet rated

This glorious lamb shank dish by Martin Morales would work as well as a winter warmer as it would a dinner party dish. The combination of dark chocolate, star anise and Peruvian ají panca chilli make a beautifully rich sauce, filled with heady flavours and a hint of spice. This recipe is taken from Andina: The Heart of Peruvian Food by Martin Morales, published by Quadrille. Photography by David Loftus.

First published in 2018

New ideas for dishes at our restaurants always appear as specials before getting a listing on the menu. This recipe was an instant hit. The magic of the velvety and dark chocolate combined with the succulent lamb shanks and spices makes this dish perfect for autumn.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Equipment

  • Stick blender

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2
Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and add the red onion, celery, carrot, chilli and garlic and sauté for about 10 minutes until the onion has softened. Add the red wine, lamb or beef stock and coriander, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes to cook out the wine a little, then season with salt and pepper
3
Add the star anise, then the lamb shanks to the pan and reduce the heat to low so that the liquid is very gently simmering. Cover the pan and cook for about 1 hour, turning the shanks over regularly so that they cook evenly, until the meat is very tender
4
Meanwhile, sprinkle the squash discs with a little salt and olive oil and roast in a preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and tender. Keep warm
5
Remove the shanks from the casserole and set aside to keep warm. Discard the star anise, then simmer the sauce, uncovered, for about 5 minutes until well reduced to a syrupy consistency, then stir in the chocolate. When the chocolate has melted, remove the casserole from the heat and use a stick blender to blitz the sauce a little, leaving it with plenty of texture
6
To serve, put 1 shank on each of 4 dinner plates. Pour equal amounts of the sauce over each shank and sprinkle with the crumbled chestnuts. Serve with a roasted squash disc on the side
First published in 2018

Martin Morales is the chef, restaurateur and founder of the Michelin-Guide listed Peruvian restaurants Ceviche Soho, Andina, Ceviche Old St and the AA Rosette awarded Casita Andina in Soho.

Get in touch

Please sign in or register to send a comment to Great British Chefs.