When I cook this North African delight I end up tossing in heaps of things and it turns out great every time. It’s a bit rich so you won’t be serving 3rd helpings but it’s definitely worth the time it takes to prepare. The neighbors on both sides are going to ask what you’re cooking — it smells that good !
I KNOW, I know.. it looks like a HUGE recipe but I promise it’s not difficult to prepare this dish and it’s certainly worth every second of effort. There’s a lot of measuring the spices but the rest of it is no more difficult than any other meal. Honest.
Lamb Tagine
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 lbs lamb in 1 inch cubes
- 2 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ¾ tsp ground coriander
- 2 brown onions large chop
- 4 to 5 carrots cut into batons
- 2 to 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tbsp grated ginger
- zest of 1 lemon (or orange)
- 16 oz chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- ⅓ cup dried apricots whole
- ⅓ cup prunes whole
- 1 tbsp honey
- scant ¼ cup sliced almonds
- pinch saffron
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ⅛ cup cilantro (coriander) roughly chopped
Instructions
- Place diced lamb in a bowl and coat with 1½ tbsp olive oil.
- In a ziplock bag mix all the spices - cumin, cayenne, turmeric, cardamom, garlic powder, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, paprika, ginger and salt. Toss well to mix.
- Add lamb to the bag of spices and rub in well and refrigerate overnight.
- In a large cast iron casserole pan, heat remaining 1½ tbsp olive oil and brown the lamb. Cook in batches so the lamb sears well. Don't overheat and burn the spices. Set lamb aside.
- Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onions start to soften.
- Place the lamb back in the pot and add the chicken stock, the lemon zest, the tomato paste, the honey, the apricots, the prunes and the saffron.
- Bring the pot to the boil and then place in a preheated oven at 350F. Should take between 1½ to 2 hours for the meat to become fork tender. This is when it starts to smell divine!
- When finished, place on stove top and thicken with cornstarch mixed in 1 tbsp of water. Place in serving dish and toss chopped cilantro and almonds on top. Great served with couscous.
Fullstar Vegetable Chopper - Food Chopper
Olive Oil Dispenser Bottle for Kitchen
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