This warming stew is spiced with cinnamon and cumin, and sweetened with apricots and dates – perfect with fluffy couscous
Prep:25 mins
Serves 8 – 10
2kg lamb neck fillets5 tbsp mild olive oil or sunflower oil3 medium onions, cut into thin wedges4 garlic cloves, finely chopped4 tsp ground cumin4 tsp ground coriander1 tsp hot chilli powder1 tsp ground turmericlarge pinch of saffron2 cinnamon sticks2 preserved lemons (from a jar), drained and cut into thin wedges300g ready-to-eat dried apricot250g ready-to-eat dried pitted dates100g shelled pistachios2 tsp rosewater25g cornfloursmall bunch coriander, leaves roughly choppedcooked couscous or basmati rice, to serve
STEP 1Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Trim the lamb of any hard fat, cut into chunks and season all over. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish and brown the lamb in 3-4 batches over a high heat for 1-2 mins until lightly coloured. Add 1 tbsp more oil between each batch and transfer to a bowl each time a batch is browned.STEP 2Heat the remaining oil in the same dish over a medium heat and fry the onions for 5 mins or until softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the garlic, cumin, coriander, chilli powder, turmeric, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 1 tsp flaked sea salt. Cook for 1 min, stirring. Return the lamb to the dish and add 1.5 litres of water, the saffron, cinnamon and lemons. Bring to a simmer, stirring a few times. Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for 1 hr.STEP 3Carefully remove the dish from the oven and stir in the apricots, dates and half the pistachios, then cover once more and return to the oven. Cook for a further 30 mins or until the lamb is very tender.STEP 4Transfer the dish to the hob and adjust the seasoning to taste. Mix the cornflour with the rosewater and 3 tbsp cold water, then stir into the tagine. Cook over a medium heat for 1-2 mins or until the sauce thickens. (Thickening the sauce with cornflour isn’t traditional but helps the tagine to freeze more successfully.) When ready to serve, roughly chop the remaining nuts and sprinkle over the top. Garnish with coriander and serve with couscous or rice.
