Yotam Ottolenghi's recipes for lamb shanks with chickpeas, fennel and apricots, plus beetroot, carrot and red cabbage slaw

Lamb shanks with chickpeas, fennel and apricots These take a while to cook, but are worth the wait. Add the salt at the start, or the chickpeas may turn to mush. It's also essential to skim off the fat. Serves four. 2 tbsp vegetable oil 4 lamb shanks (around 1.7kg) Seasoned flour, for dusting 4 small fennel bulbs, trimmed and quartered 4 onions, peeled and quartered 2 tsp each fennel seeds, sweet paprika, ground coriander and ginger 1 tsp ground turmeric 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped 2 bay leaves 2 strips shaved orange peel Salt and black pepper 2 tsp tomato paste 500ml white wine 150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water with 2 tsp of baking soda 1 tsp sugar 200g dried apricots For the preserved lemon relish 15g coriander 15g parsley 25g preserved lemon, skin and flesh 1½ tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed Heat the oven to 170C/335F/gas mark 3. Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan. Roll the shanks in flour, shake off the excess and sear all over on a high heat for five minutes. Transfer to a medium roasting tin with tall sides. Lower the heat to medium, add the fennel, sear for four minutes, stirring, and transfer to a bowl. Add the onions to the pot – if necessary, add a bit more oil – sauté for five minutes, then add the spices, chilli, bay, orange peel, a teaspoon and a half of salt and some black pepper. Cook for five minutes, stirring a few times. Add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes. Pour in the wine and boil until reduced by a third. Add the drained chickpeas, sugar and 500ml of water, and bring to a boil. Pour the contents of the pan over the shanks: the chickpeas should be submerged in the liquid. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven. After an hour, reduce the temperature to 150C/300F/gas mark 2, skim off the fat, turn the shanks and cook, covered, for one hour more. Repeat, and cook for another hour. Skim off the fat again, add the apricots and fennel, and stir (add water if the chickpeas aren't immersed), cover and cook for another hour. The meat should now be spoonable. Before serving, blitz the relish ingredients, a quarter-teaspoon of salt and some black pepper to a rough paste. Transfer the shanks, vegetables and sauce to shallow serving bowls, spoon over the relish and serve. Beetroot, carrot and red cabbage slaw (V) This kind of salad keeps me going all the way to Christmas, and beyond. Serves four. 1 medium beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated 2 carrots, peeled and coarsely grated 150g red cabbage, very thinly sliced 25g parsley, roughly chopped 15g dill, roughly chopped 60g lightly toasted walnuts, crushed 80g dried apricots, sliced 20g pumpkin seeds, lightly toasted 1½ tbsp poppy seeds For the dressing 2 tbsp sherry vinegar 1½ tbsp maple syrup 90ml olive oil 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger ½ tsp salt Black pepper In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients and set aside. Put all the salad ingredients in a large bowl, reserving some of the poppy seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts. Toss gently so the beetroot doesn't colour the other ingredients too much, spoon over the dressing, then scatter the reserved nuts and seeds on top. Bring to the table as is – it looks better like this – and toss. • Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron of Ottolenghi and Nopi in London.