Lamb Tagine with Apricots, Prunes, Saffron and Ginger
A rich lamb tagine with abricots and prunes stewed in garlic, saffron and ginger.
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Servings: people
Equipment
- 1 cast iron/traditional/tagine or casserole with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 k stewing lamb, left on the bone, such as neck or shoulder
- 2 large red onions, roughly chopped into ½ cm rings
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¼-½ preserved lemon, well rinsed and roughly chopped or lemon stuffed olives -optional
- 3 cm piece of ginger (1 tbsp), peeled and finely sliced
- 2 tsp ras-el-hanout
- pinch saffron
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds
- ¼ tsp ground long pepper optional
- ¼ tsp ground cubeb pepper optional
- ½ tsp cumin
- 1 tsp harissa
- 2 tsp concentrated tomato paste
- 150 g dried apricots and prunes
- 800 ml hot stock of your choice
- 1 large aubergine, thinely sliced horizontally optional
- 1 large courgette, thinly sliced horizontally opotional
- 1 medium Florina red pepper, sliced into long strips optional
- olive oil
- salt (if required)
To serve
- 1 handful toasted almond flakes
- small bunch fresh coriander
Instructions
- If you use a traditional tagine, you must do this next step in a separate frying pan. Saute the onions in a little olive oil until just soft, add the lamb and gently brown on all sides.
- Whizz the garlic, saffron and preserved lemon in a mini-blender with a little warm stock (50ml) and add to the lamb. Let it cook for a couple of minutes, and then add the rest of the spices. Cook a minute longer and transfer to the traditional tagine (if using).
- Stir in the harissa, tomato paste, dried fruit and the rest of the stock.
- Set over very low heat and cover. After cooking for an hour, add the vegetables in layers in a circle on top of the meat. My tagine base is cast iron and the total cooking time was 2 hours - the meat was beautifully tender. It's ready when the meat is falling off the bone. Cooking times will be a little longer if you use the traditional tagine. Check on it regularly, adding water if it gets too dry.
- Decorate with toasted almonds and fresh coriander. Serve with pittas or flatbread and olives.
- Can be prepared a day in advance and then re-reheated
Notes
I can't be precise about timing because it does depend on your type of tagine or casserole. Seal and brown the meat and then cook it as gently as possible. The flavour is vastly improved by cooking meat on the bone, but it's not obligatory. The tagine is ready when the meat is falling off the bone.
Please check the manufacturer's instructions if you are using a traditional tagine.