Easy Lamb Tagine

This is a classic lamb tagine with dried apricots, flavoured with saffron, ginger and cinnamon, and sweetened with honey and takes its name from the pot in which it is cooked.

What is a Tagine?

A Tagine is a Moroccan dish that takes it name from the cooking pot of the same name in which it is cooked.

The tagine pot consists of a shallow earthenware dish with a unique conical lid. The food is cooked in just a small amount of liquid as the shape of the lid means that very little moisture is lost through evaporation. Instead, it condenses and runs down the lid back into the pan. 

The result is a stew with a thick intensely flavoured and delicious sauce.

Mr B took me to Marakesh a few years back to celebrate a special birthday and I got the rather splendid tagine used in these pictures there. It was really cheap, and the meat I bought back in the UK for the first tagine I cooked in it, cost twice as much as the pot itself!

A one pot dish

Tagines are easy to make and have one big advantage. They are made in just one pot and thus save on the washing up! That's a win in itself. But best of all they taste delicious and make a good weekday family meal or easy dish to make to serve to friends.

Of course, you can make a tagine without a special pan. Just use a large shallow pan with a well-fitting lid but as I have a tagine it is rather fun to use it.

Top Tip for using a Tagine

The secret to a successful tagine is slow gentle cooking until the the meat is meltingly tender and the juices have reduced to a thickened, slightly syruppy sauce.

How to serve Tagines

Fragrant and packed full of flavour, tagines are traditionally served as a course on their own with bread for mopping up the sauce.

They are then followed by a separate course of couscous. Here in the UK, however, it is more common to serve the couscous alongside. I think a side salad or a side dish of roasted aubergine, peppers and onions completes the meal perfectly.

Check out my recipe for How to cook Couscous.

Step by step lamb tagine

Step 1

Fry the onion until softened and beginning to colour.

Step 2

Add the meat and brown on all sides. Add the spices followed by the water and bring to a simmer.

Step 3

Cover and cook for 1 hour.

Step 4

Add the apricots and orange zest. Cook for 20 minutes. Add the honey, adjust the seasoning and cook 10 minutes more until the sauce is reduced.

Leftovers?

The tagine will keep covered in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. reheat gently until piping hot adding a little more water if required.

You can also reheat this in the microwave, if you prefer.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.

If you like this Lamb Recipe…

…you might also like:

• Beany Lamb Hotpot
• Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks
• Easy Lamb Hot Pot
• Marinated Lamb with Bean Mash

Lamb Tagine

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A tender lamb stew with dried apricots, flavoured with saffron, ginger and cinnamon, and sweetened with honey. It takes its name from the pot in which it is cooked.

Course Main

Cuisine Moroccan

Keyword easy

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 40 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 436

Author Jacqueline Bellefontaine

Equipment

• tagine or a shallow pan with tight fitting lid

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon rapeseed or olive oil
• 30 g blanched almonds (1oz)
• 2 onions chopped
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• good pinch saffron threads
• 5 cm piece root ginger (2in)peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds crushed
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds crushed
• 500 g lean lamb (1lb 2oz) cut into bite size pieces
• 500 ml water (18floz)
• 18 dried apricots
• few strips orange zest removed with a potato peeler
• 2 tablespoon runny honey
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• couscous to serve

Instructions

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a shallow pan or base of a tagine and stir in the 30g (1oz) blanched almonds, cook until golden, then add 2 chopped onions and cook for about 4–5 minutes until softened and beginning to colour.
• Stir in 2 chopped garlic cloves, then add a good pinch of saffron strands, a 5cm (2in) piece root ginger, chopped, 2 cinnamon sticks, 1 teapsoon coriander seeds and ½ teapsoon cumin seeds. Stir well.
• Add 500g (1lb 2oz) cubed lamb to the pan and cook for a few minutes turning to brown slightly, then stir in the 500ml (18floz) water.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour until the meat is just tender.
• Add 18 dried apricots and a few strips of orange zest to the pan, cover again and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Stir in 2 tablespoons honey and season well. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. The juices should now be reduced and slightly syrupy. If it is too thick add a little more water, too thin then simmer for a few minutes uncovered.
• Serve with couscous.

Notes

Nutrition information is calculated using an online nutrition database - is approximate and is meant as a guideline only. (It does not include seasoning.)

 

Store

The tagine will keep covered ina sealed container in the fridge for 2 to 3 days. reheat gently until piping hot adding a little more water if required.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost before reheating.

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 100mg | Potassium: 927mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 1308IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 96mg | Iron: 4mg

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