A smoky, spicy rich North African dish originating in Morocco
Lamb tagine! Smoky, spicy, rich and packing a real punch of flavour: the longer you cook it, the punchier the flavour, so put the pot on and go do something else. One thing to note here: tagine is the name of the earthenware pot in which these dishes are cooked; I got rid of my tagine when I got an induction hob. So while it's called lamb tagine, I'm afraid it's never been anywhere near an actual tagine. But then again, how many of us have a tagine? Just get cooking!
INGREDIENTS
onion
garlic
saffron
cumin
ground ginger
coriander
parsley
diced lamb - any cut will do (like Joseph and the coat)
preserved lemon (fresh will do if you don't have the preserved ones)
olive oil
peas (frozen or fresh - or even tinned)
Watch the video
METHOD
Finely chop the onion, garlic, coriander and parsley
Quarter the lemon
If you're using saffron strands, stir them in a little warm water
Put all that in a bowl, along with the ginger and cumin, and mix them together
Add the lamb
Add salt and about 8 tablespoons of olive oil
Get your hands in there and massage it all into the lamb
Stick that in the fridge for at least 2 hours - longer if you'd like
Take it out about 30 minutes before using, to allow it to lose some of the chill
Heat it up
Add enough hot water to almost cover it
Bring it to a boil (the video says "brig to a boil" - well done me)
Then down to a simmer
Cover and simmer for 45 minutes - or longer
Cook the peas - frozen for 8 minutes; fresh for about 15; tinned can go to the next bit
Sauté the peas in butter for 5 minutes
Add the peas to the tagine just before serving
COUSCOUS
1 part couscous to 1.5 parts boiling liquid (well - just boiled; very hot - you get the idea
Put the couscous in a bowl and add the liquid: I used lamb stock
Cover and leave for 5 minutes
Fluff up with a fork and serve
OR....
Add pine nuts and a teaspoon of harissa paste and stir through
Add some oil or butter and stir through with a fork, fluffing it up as you go