Why I love this...
This is one of my go-to dishes for dinner parties. It's an absolute crowd-pleaser (if you like lamb of course) and it's super easy to make with minimal time actually cooking (don't be discouraged by the length of the recipe or method - the steps are simple) and zero time once your guests arrive. The melt-in-the-mouth lamb is a delicious contrast to the almonds and chickpeas and is complimented by the sweetness of the prunes. This was hands down one of my favourite dishes when I travelled Morocco so of course I had to come up with my own version!
Ingredients
1. 3 lbs Lamb for stewing (boned)
1 Medium red onion
150g Butternut squash (peeled and chopped, but you can do this after starting to cook to save time)
4 Garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
2 Tsp Cinnamon - ground
2 Tsp Cumin - ground
1 Tsp Ginger - ground
1 Tsp Coriander - ground
1/2 Tsp Turmeric - ground
1 Tsp Paprika
1 Tsp Cumin seeds
5 Cloves
1 Star anise (option, but gives deeper flavour)
100g Prunes
120g Raw almonds, blanched (or remove skins yourself - see tip below)
500ml Chicken stock
1 Tin Chopped tomatoes
1 Tin Chickpeas
3 Tbsp Olive oil (for cooking)
3 Tbsp Honey (or more to taste)
Salt
Black pepper - ideally freshly ground
Small bunch of fresh coriander
Equipment
Chopping board
Chopping knife
Medium sized mixing bowl
Cover for the bowl (or clingfilm)
Casserole dish/Dutch oven - medium size
Teaspoon
Stirring spoon
Appliances: Hob, Oven, Fridge
Preparation
Prep the lamb:
In the medium bowl mix the ginger, coriander, turmeric, paprika and 1.5 tsps of both the cinnamon and the ground cumin. Add a generous grinding of black pepper.
Chop the lamb into bitesized pieces (around an inch square) and toss well in the spices, massaging them into the meat a little.
Cover the bowl and leave it in the fridge for at least a couple of hours, ideally over night.
When you are ready to make your tagine:
Heat your oven to 170º Celsius/340º Fahrenheit
Chop the onion - don't leave big chunks, but it also doesn't have to be super fine. Heat the olive oil in the casserole and then soften the onion for around 5 minutes.
Whilst the onion is softening, chop your vegetables.
Add in the star anise, cloves and cumin seeds as well as the whole garlic cloves to the pot and stir for around 30 seconds.
Add the lamb and stir it around until it's nicely mixed with the oil, onion and spices. Throw in the vegetables, prunes and almonds and stir well; then add in the tomatoes and stock. Stir it all well then cover with the lid and put it in your pre-heated oven. Meanwhile drain and rinse your chickpeas.
After about an hour take it out, give it a stir and now add in two tablespoons of honey and the chickpeas. Return it to the oven for another 60 minutes.
Check in on your dish again, by now the lamb should start to be really soft. Stir it well, give it a taste and add in any remaining spices, honey and season with salt and pepper.
At this point it's probably edible, but it you have another 30 minutes it will get even better so return to the oven until you are ready to serve.
If you are cooking ahead of time, just leave it in the casserole as the oven is cooling down. It will stay hot for a while or you can easily reheat in the same dish. To be honest, this is even more delicious the second day.
I like to serve mine with a fresh tabbouleh (the one in the picture is made with quinoa rather than couscous for exra protein) and some green beans and top it with a bit of fresh coriander (and use a lot in the tabbouleh)!
Top Tip: Blanching (skinning) almonds is super easy. Put them in a bowl and pour boiling water over them. Leave for ten minutes until ready to touch and then just slide off the skins.