Lamb Tagine

I love any dish with lamb and not surprisingly this delicious slow cooked lamb tagine happens to be one of my favourites. The lamb is cooked at 170C in the oven for almost 3 hours until fork tender and falling apart with a rich velvety sauce that is packed with lovely eastern spices like cumin, turmeric, fennel and saffron, all adding heaps of flavour to this dish.

For the Tagine

1.20 kg (2.8 pounds) lamb stewing meat or lamb shouder, chopped and cut into 1.5 inch cubes

1.50 tsp salt

¾ tsp ground pepper

3 tbsp olive oil

2 large brown onions, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced

1 inch ginger, grated

1 tbsp tomato puree

2 cinnamon sticks

1 & 3/4 cup (380ml) chicken stock

¾ cup dried apricots

For the spices

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground turmeric

⅓ tsp ground ginger

1 tsp paprika

⅓ tsp salt

large pinch of saffron

2 cloves

1 tsp fennel seeds

To serve

2 tsp olive oil

⅓ cup (6 tbsp) slivered almonds

freshly chopped parsley

1 lemon juice to taste

Preheat the oven to 170C. Pour two tbsp olive into a dutch oven over high heat. Sprinkle the lamb with the salt and pepper and brown in batches, about 3 minutes on either side. Place the lamb aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining lamb.
Add another tbsp olive oil to the Dutch oven and turn heat down to low then add in the onion, garlic and ginger. Cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Add in the tomato paste, cinnamon sticks and all ingredients of the spice mix. Cook for just one minute, stirring constantly
Add in the chicken stock and place the lamb back in the pot along with all juices left on plate and the apricots. Cover and place in the oven for 2 and a half to 3 hours.
A few minutes before the tagline is done prepare the almonds. Heat two tsp of olive oil in a pan over low heat, once the pan has heated up add in the slivered almonds and toss until browned, about 2-3 minutes.
Once done remove the lamb from the oven and serve on top of some couscous and top with the slivered almond, a squeeze of lemon juice and some freshly chopped parsley.

oven 170C for 2 and half to 3 hours

2 tbsp olive oil, lamb brown
remove excess fat
2 tbsp olive po; , onions then garlic and ginger etc and sauces
then add back lamb and add any juice left on plate
then oven

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