This is not strictly speaking a tagine, as the term really refers to the cooking pot. Two resolutely Middle Eastern ingredients here, verjuice (sour grape juice) and preserved lemons. If you can’t find them, use a fresh lemon, but add a teaspoon of chopped capers to replicate that briny sourness.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled but whole
- 2 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 medium red cabbage, about 800g, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 large or 2 small preserved lemons
- 2 tbsp sultanas
- 2 tbsp wine vinegar or verjuice
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 125ml fresh vegetable stock or water
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/ fan 160°C/gas 4. Heat the olive oil in a flameproof casserole with a lid over a medium heat. Fry the garlic, cloves and cinnamon quite briskly, until the garlic starts to brown. Add the cumin and onion and stir to coat in the spicy oil. Add the cabbage and stir again.
- 2. Halve the lemons, then discard all the soggy bits inside. Slice the skin thinly and add to the cabbage. Add the sultanas, vinegar, sugar and stock or water and stir well again. Cover and put in the oven for 50 minutes, until the cabbage has softened.
- 3. Remove from the oven and rest, covered, for another 30 minutes. Discard the cinnamon and serve with chopped fresh coriander, if you like.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 97kcals, 4.5g fat (0.6g saturated), 2.4g protein, 13.2g carbs, 11.8g sugar, trace salt
Chef's tip
To freeze:Make the cabbage, then cool and freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat gently on the hob, stirring, until piping hot throughout.