lamb tagine with almonds and prunes

There was a time when cooking a tagine was a regular thing for me, and it's high time it made a comeback. North African food is unique due to its geographic location and cultural history; the cuisine is like a merging of Middle Eastern, African and French flavour profiles. 

A prominent feature of Moroccan food is the combination of protein and fruit, and often nuts - think classic dishes like chicken with preserved lemon, or couscous with a smattering of dried fruit and toasted almonds tumbled through it. Moroccan dishes often also feature honey.

Lamb, Prune and Almond Tagine hits all of those beautiful flavour notes. Often made with apricots, I love the prune version because of the subtle sweetness and delicious stickiness they develop as it cooks.

Speaking of pots…

Tagine the Food vs Tagine the Cooking Vessel
When a dish is named after the vessel it's cooked in, things can sound a little confusing.

A Tagine - the cooking vessel - is a clay cooking pot with a funnelled lid. Tagine - the food - is a combination of meat, vegetables and spices cooked in this pot.

I don't use a tagine pot, which is not the cultural crime it may seem! Most restaurants and many homes in Morocco these days use regular pots instead, as traditional tagines are designed for cooking over a fire.

The signature spice blend of Morocco is ras-el-hanout. A true essential in cooking food from this region, in Arabic it literally means ‘head of the shop’. Its true translation ‘top shelf’; think of it as the cornerstone of the Moroccan flavour profile.

You can buy ready-made ras-el-hanout in supermarkets, but chances are you already have most of the spices in your pantry. If you're missing one or two spices, it's not a big deal - the recipe changes from region to region.

What to serve with tagine:
Flatbread, tomato and cucumber salad, green salad, saffron rice all pair nicely with tagine. Interestingly, tagine is not traditionally served with couscous but it works well with it so go ahead!

Serves 4
Prep Time 30 mins, Cook Time 2.5 hours

Ingredients:
750 g lamb shanks (left whole), or neck or shoulder (cut into 4cm pieces)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion - sliced finely
4-6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 bunch parsley 
1/2 bunch coriander
ras el hanout spice mix - see below
½ tsp crushed saffron threads
2 whole star anise
2 cups of water
1 tsp stock powder (any)
1 cup of pitted prunes + 6 extra for finishing 
1 tbsp honey
½ cup almonds - preferably slivered
½ cup of freshly toasted sesame seeds
6-10 whole blanched almonds

Ras el Hanout spice mix
1 ½ tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp chilli powder
1 ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp paprika
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground turmeric

Method:
Remove the leafy top parts of the parsley and coriander. Roughly chop the leaves and put aside for garnishing at the end. 

Tie the stalks of the parsley and coriander together using kitchen string. Set aside. (tip: if you have no string, you can use plain, unwaxed dental floss!)

In a large pot, saute the onion in olive oil over medium heat until translucent, about 5 mins. Add the garlic, stir until fragrant (about 2 mins).

Add the dry ras-el-hanout spices and the lamb. Turn the lamb pieces to brown all sides.

Add water, stock powder, saffron, star anise and the bundle of herb stalks. 

Pop the lid on top and slow simmer for 2 ½ hours. Check regularly to make sure you're maintaining a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the sauce will reduce and thicken, and the lamb will be tender and fall apart easily. It may need another hour on the stove, or it may need a little less time.

When it reaches that stage when the lamb is tender and the liquid has turned into a thick, rich sauce, you know it's done. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bundle of herb stalks and discard. Now add the honey, the prunes and the almonds. (Reserve the extra prunes and whole almonds for finishing off the dish.)

Make the finishing garnish: slip a whole blanched almond into 6-10 prunes then roll in sesame seeds. Place them over the top of the tagine then sprinkle the rest of sesame seeds over it.
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Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top. Lastly scatter those parsley and coriander leaves over the top. 

Serve with flatbread, salads, saffron rice or couscous.