Description
A flavorful and aromatic Moroccan-style lamb tagine slow-cooked in the oven until tender, spiced with traditional spices like cumin, coriander, cardamom, and cinnamon, and served with couscous, toasted almonds, and fresh coriander.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat
- 1 kg / 2 lb lamb stewing meat or shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes
- 600 g / 1.2 lb lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes
Spices & Seasonings
- 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp ground coriander
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp ground cardamom
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 1/2 tsp fennel powder
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper (adjust for spice preference)
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt (additional)
Other Ingredients
- 3 tbsp canola oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 2 brown onions, diced (1cm / 0.3″ cubes)
- 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 1 cup whole dried apricots
- 2 – 3 tsp lemon zest (from 1 whole lemon)
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
- 1 1/2 batches plain couscous
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C (320°F) if using a fan-forced oven.
- Prepare Spice Mix: In a bowl, combine all the dried spices: coriander, cumin, cardamom, turmeric, fennel powder, cayenne pepper, ground cloves, and ground ginger. Set aside.
- Brown the Lamb: Toss the lamb cubes with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Heat canola oil in a large oven-proof dutch oven over high heat. Brown the lamb in batches, turning to color all sides evenly, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove the browned lamb and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium-high. Add diced onions and minced garlic to the pot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, grated ginger, cinnamon sticks, and the prepared spice mix. Cook while stirring constantly for 1 1/2 minutes to release flavors.
- Add Liquids and Lamb: Pour in the chicken stock and stir to combine. Return the browned lamb to the pot, mixing it with the aromatic sauce.
- Slow Cook in Oven: Bring the mixture to a simmer on the stovetop. Cover the pot with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 45 minutes. Then add the dried apricots, cover again, and cook for an additional 1 hour. Check halfway through to ensure the sauce hasn’t reduced too much; add 1/2 cup water if needed.
- Finish with Lemon Zest: After a total of 1 hour 45 minutes of cooking, check that the lamb is tender. Gently stir in the fresh lemon zest to brighten the dish.
- Serve: Serve the lamb tagine hot over plain couscous, garnished with toasted slivered almonds and chopped fresh coriander leaves.
Notes
- You can substitute dried apricots with green olives for a different flavor profile.
- For preserved lemon instead of fresh lemon zest, add about 1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon peel.
- Adjust cayenne pepper according to your heat preference.
- Ensure to toast the almonds separately to bring out their flavor before adding as a garnish.
- The recipe uses oven slow cooking, but can also be adapted for a stovetop or slow cooker method.
