This lamb casserole recipe is full of North African flavours and the aromas will whisk you straight to a Middle Eastern souk. You can also freeze it.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1.2kg lamb shoulder, cubed
- 2 large onions, roughly chopped
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp ras el hanout
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- Pinch of saffron
- 800ml lamb stock
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 strips pared lemon zest
- 250g soft dried prunes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- Steamed couscous and toasted flaked almonds to serve
Method
- 1. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based casserole or pan over a high heat, season the lamb and fry in batches until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 2. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then add the onion and carrot, cover with a lid and fry over a medium heat for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally. Add the garlic, ras el hanout and ginger and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- 3. Return the lamb to the pan with the saffron, stock, tomatoes, cinnamon and lemon zest. Stir, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer over a low heat for 45 minutes.
- 4. Add the prunes and chickpeas, season and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, then for a final 15 minutes without the lid, to thicken the sauce.
- 5. Remove half the cooked tagine to a plastic container, cool and seal, then freeze for up to 3 months.
- 6. Serve the freshly made tagine with steamed couscous and toasted flaked almonds.
- 7. When you’re ready to eat the frozen tagine, defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a saucepan until bubbling hot. Add a little more water to the sauce while you are reheating it, then serve as in step 6.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 419kcals, 18.2g fat (1g saturated), 39.2g protein, 27.5g carbs, 17.2g sugar, 0.9g salt