This Apple, Plum and Cinnamon Lamb Tagine is a tender, aromatic, delicious meal. The apple adds a tang and the plums add sweetness to the lamb which is cooked low and slow with the warm spices and dark sugar. Serve the Lamb Tagine with couscous and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Apple, Plum and Cinnamon Lamb Tagine Recipe
Serves 4
Ingredients:
20 g/1 tablespoon butter
800 g-1 kg/1¼-2 lbs. lamb, diced
6 small shallots, peeled and halved
4 fresh plums, peeled, stoned/ pitted and quartered
1 small cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
200ml/2/3 cup Brown Chicken Stock or a chicken stock cube dissolved in 200 ml/2/3 cup boiling water
Couscous, to serve
Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
Salt and black pepper, to season
Method:
Preheat the oven to 160° C (325° F) Gas 3.
Set a large lidded heatproof casserole dish on the stovetop over a medium heat. Add the butter, lamb and the shallots to the casserole and fry for 6-8 minutes until the lamb is browned, stirring often. Add the plums, apple, sage, cinnamon, sugar and stock.
Bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Place the lid on the casserole and transfer it to the preheated oven. Cook for 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce rich and sticky.
Meanwhile, prepare enough couscous for 4 servings according to the instructions on the packet.
Remove the tagine from the oven, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve hot, spooned over a bed of couscous and sprinkled with chopped parsley.
Smart Tip:
If you’re cutting your leg of lamb, this recipe is perfect for the rump/chump top meat. Just trim it and cut into 2-cm dice.
This recipe is an extract from Cluck, Oink, Baa, Moo by Miranda Ballard, published by Ryland Peters & Small ($39.99 NZD RRP, $39.99 AUD RRP) Photography by Steve Painter.
