Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Prunes
Lamb shoulder slow-braised with onion, ginger, saffron and cinnamon until tender, topped with prunes simmered in honey and finished with fried almonds and sesame seeds.
Equipment
- 5–6 litre (5–6 qt) Dutch oven, or clay tagine with heat diffuser; small saucepan
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg bone-in lamb shoulder cut into 5–6 cm pieces, or 1.1 kg boneless
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter or smen optional
- 2 large onions 450 g / 1 lb total, coarsely grated
- 4 garlic cloves finely grated
- 1 ½ tsp fine sea salt plus more to taste
- 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ras el hanout optional
- ¼ tsp saffron threads about 25, crumbled
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 20 g cilantro and flat-leaf parsley tied in a bundle
- 750 ml water
- 300 g soft pitted prunes
- 250 ml cooking liquid from the lamb
- 2 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp orange blossom water optional
- 60 g whole blanched almonds
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 2–3 hard-boiled eggs halved, optional
Instructions
- Put the lamb, olive oil, butter, grated onion, garlic, salt, pepper, ginger, turmeric, ras el hanout and saffron into a heavy Dutch oven and stir to coat.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes, until the onion liquid has cooked off, the meat has lost its raw colour and the spices smell toasted.
- Pour in the water. It should come almost to the top of the meat. Add the cinnamon stick and herb bundle and bring to a simmer.
- Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook at a gentle bubble for 1 ¾–2 ¼ hours, stirring every 30 minutes and adding 120 ml (½ cup) water if it gets too thick, until the lamb falls apart under a fork. Check boneless lamb from 1 ½ hours.
- About 20 minutes before the end, simmer the prunes, 250 ml (1 cup) cooking liquid, honey and ground cinnamon in a small pan, uncovered, for 10–15 minutes until syrupy. Stir in the orange blossom water off the heat.
- Remove the herbs and cinnamon stick. If the sauce is thin, lift out the lamb and boil the sauce 5–10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Season to taste.
- Fry the almonds in 1 tsp oil over medium-low heat for 4–5 minutes until golden.
- Return the lamb to the sauce or arrange on a platter, and top with the prunes and syrup, almonds, sesame seeds and eggs. Serve with khobz, crusty bread or couscous.
Notes
Oven: after step 3, cook covered at 160°C (325°F, gas 3) for 2–2 ½ hours.
Slow cooker: brown the base in a pan (steps 1–2), use only 400 ml (1 ⅔ cups) water, cook Low 7–8 hours or High 4–5 hours.
Clay tagine: use 400–500 ml water, a heat diffuser and low heat, and allow 2 ½–3 hours.
One-pot option: add the prunes and honey to the lamb for the last 20–25 minutes instead of cooking them separately.
Make ahead: refrigerate the lamb and prunes separately for up to 3–4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Lift off the set fat, reheat covered until piping hot, and fry the almonds fresh.