Slow-cooked lamb with warming spices, sweet dried apricots, almonds and saffron — a feast from the Maghreb.
Tagine refers both to the conical clay cooking vessel and the slow-cooked North African stew made in it. The cone traps steam and returns it as condensation, keeping the meat exceptionally tender. The marriage of sweet and savoury — lamb with apricots and warm spices — is the heart of Moroccan cooking.
Serves 4
Combine lamb with grated onion, garlic, all spices, saffron water, salt and oil. Mix well. Marinate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
Sear lamb pieces over high heat in batches until deeply browned on all sides. Don't crowd the pan — steam instead of sear ruins the colour.
Layer browned lamb in a tagine or Dutch oven. Add any remaining marinade and stock. Bring to a simmer, then reduce to lowest heat. Cover and cook 1.5 hours.
Real tagine is cooked over charcoal at very low heat for 2–3 hours. A Dutch oven in a 160°C oven for 2 hours achieves a similar result.
In the last 30 minutes, add dried apricots and honey. Stir gently. The apricots should become plump and almost dissolve into the sauce.
Taste and adjust salt. Transfer to a warm platter or serve in the tagine. Garnish with toasted almonds, fresh herbs, and an extra drizzle of honey. Serve with couscous or flatbread.
Low and slow is the Moroccan way — patience creates fall-apart tender meat.
Preserved lemons (if you have them) added in the last 30 minutes are spectacular.
Ras el hanout is a complex Moroccan spice blend — find at Middle Eastern stores or online.
Chicken tagine: substitute lamb with whole chicken pieces, reduce cooking time to 1 hour.
Vegetable tagine: use chickpeas, root vegetables, replace stock with vegetable stock.
Improves over 2–3 days. Refrigerate up to 5 days, freeze up to 3 months.
Tagine cooking is over 2000 years old in North Africa, predating the Arab conquest. The conical clay lid design is perfectly adapted to the Moroccan climate — where water is precious, the lid recycles steam.
No — a Dutch oven or heavy casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid in a 160°C oven works beautifully. The tagine shape is traditional but not essential.
Per serving (400g) · 4 servings total
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