Lamb Tagine

I remember working in a hotel in London and we had the restaurant booked out for a private party. I think it was the last night of Chicago starring Cuba Gooding Jr. Gas craic either way. They requested tagines very last minute. We had 5 people running all over London looking everywhere for Tagines! It was a nightmare. After about 6 hours we eventually had enough that we could cook and serve the entire party. Ever since then I will always have a tagine at the ready in my house!

DANIEL RAMOS, JAÈN ‘EL BERRAKIN’

 

Ingredients

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1½ tbsp paprika
• 1½ tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1.1kg/2½lb cubed lamb shoulder (5cm/2in chunks)
• 2 large onions, grated
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, crushed
• 570ml/1 pint tomato juice
• 2 x 400g tinned chopped tomatoes
• 115g/4oz dried apricots, cut in half
• 55g/2oz dates, cut in half
• 55g/2oz sultanas or raisins
• 85g/3oz flaked almonds
• 1 tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water
• 600ml/1 pint lamb stock
• 1 tbsp clear honey
• 2 tbsp coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

 

Method

1. Grab a small bowl and mix combine the cayenne, black pepper, paprika, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon.
2. Toss the lamb with 1/2 of the spice mix and rub it in well. 
3. Cover the lamb and leave in the fridge overnight.
4. Preheat the oven to 150C.
5. Grab a large casserole dish and heat 1 tbsp oil over low heat.
6. Add the onion and the other 1/2 of the spice mix.
7. Cook for 10 minutes.
8. Onions should be soft and becoming translucent.
9. Grab a frying pan and add the rest of the oil.
10. Over medium heat brown the lamb pieces, turning to brown all sides.
11. Lob the lamb in the casserole dish.
12. Grab your tomato juice and de-glaze the pan the lamb was seared in.
13. Scrape all the goodness from the bottom.
14. Add all that to the casserole dish now too.
15. Add the remaining tomato juice, your chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole.
16. Bring this to the boil over heat.
17. Cover with its lid.
18. Get it in your pre heated oven for 2.5 hours!
19. Serve with chopped herbs!