Tagines are much underemployed dishes in this country, a situation I'd love to reverse.
The heavy clay pots have two parts: a flat, circular base pot with low sides, and a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking and makes sure all the condensation returns to the bottom. Most tagines involve slow simmering of less expensive meats or poultry. The ideal cuts of lamb, for example, are the neck, shoulder or shank, cooked until it's falling off the bone.
Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a medley of ingredients or seasonings: olives, apples, lemons, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts. Honey is often added along with spices.
I hope you love the flavours of cumin and fresh lemon contrasting with the other spices and sweet honey in this week's recipe as much as I do. For a side dish, look no further than a bowl of fluffy couscous or boiled rice.
Tagine of lamb with apricot and almonds
Serves 4
800g neck fillet of lamb
6tbsp olive oil
500g vine tomatoes
1 large onion, finely chopped
1tsp ground cumin
1tsp ground cinnamon
1tsp ground coriander
1 large pinch of saffron thread
A good pinch of salt
25 turns of fresh ground white pepper
2 unwaxed lemons
200ml water
100g clear honey
200g dried apricots
50g blanched whole almonds
2tbsp sesame seeds
2tbsp freshly chopped coriander
Set the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Cut the lamb into eight even pieces and lightly season them with salt. Heat a large, heavy casserole pan and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot add the lamb pieces and colour them until golden.
Quarter the tomatoes and remove the seeds, then chop them finely and add them to the lamb along with the onion, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, saffron, salt and fresh ground pepper.
Grate the zest and squeeze the juice from the lemons and add to the lamb along with the water and honey. Transfer everything into a warm tagine dish and place it in the oven to cook for 60-80 minutes or until tender. Check the tagine from time to time to make sure it's not drying out. If required, top up with a little water.
Cut the apricots in half and add them to the tagine along with the almonds. Check the seasoning and place the tagine back in the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Sprinkle the sesame seeds and chopped coriander over the lamb and serve immediately.
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