Tagines are my favourite thing to make in the autumn. Bung together a few spices, meat and some dried fruit and a few hours later the smell of your kitchen will transport you to a bustling market in Marrakesh. I've chosen to use Medjool dates in this dish - they're in season and they go wonderfully well with the lamb. However, you can use any dried fruit from apricots to figs - they melt into the sauce giving it a rich, sweet flavour that when combined with the spices makes for an amazing taste sensation. Grating the onions for the base can be a tear inducing task, but it's important as it allows the onions to melt into the tagine, spreading the flavour throughout. I tend to wear swimming goggles when I do this job - you may look and feel ridiculous for a short time but it's worth it to spare the stinging!
Ingredients
For the tagine
600g lamb neck (or leg or shoulder) chopped into 1 inch chunks
2 large onions, grated
150g Medjool dates (or other dried fruit)
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
400g tinned tomatoes
400ml passata
300ml lamb stock
1 tbsp ras-el-hanout
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
4 tbsp olive oil
To serve
Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
1 tbsp flaked almonds
Methods
1. Firstly, make your spice mix by combining your spices in a bowl. Add the lamb chucks making sure they are evenly coated by the mixture. Place in the fridge to marinate for a least a couple of hours.
2. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil to a low temperature in a large casserole dish with a lid and add the grated onion, cooking for around 10 minutes until soft and golden. Be careful not to burn them. Add the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan, and add the seasoned lamb, frying until evenly browned on all sides. Add the meat to the casserole dish with the onions and deglaze the frying pan by adding the lamb stock and scraping it with a wooden spoon to dissolve all the leftover browned bits.
Add this to the casserole dish along with the fruit, passata and chopped tomatoes.
4. Put the lid on your casserole dish and place in the oven, cooking for around 2 1/2- 3 hours, or until the meat is meltingly tender. If the tagine is too liquidy, reduce on the stove until you have the desired consistency. To serve, sprinkle over the coriander and flaked almonds.
P.S: it tastes even better the next day - if it lasts that long!
Mint and pomegranate Cous Cous
I prefer giant cous cous to the normal variety with tagines, because it absorbs flavours much better, both when cooked and when served as the side dish to a meal. As shallow as it sounds, it also looks prettier, especially when the jewel-like pomegranate seeds are mixed through. I add a bit of Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar to the cous cous after it has cooked (an idea stolen off Heston) as it adds a touch of acidity to the grains - perfect when served with a sweet tagine.
For the cous cous
300g giant cous cous
400ml lamb stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
To serve
1 pomegranate, deseeded
Small bunch of mint, roughly chopped
Method
1. Place the cous cous in a medium saucepan and pour over the lamb stock. Cook this on a medium temperature until the cous cous is soft, and all the liquid has dissolved.
2. Add the red wine vinegar and the mustard, mixing until evenly dispersed. Then transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and the chopped mint. Serve immediately.
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