Lamb and Date Tagine with Pomegranate Couscous

Tagine is a North African dish named after the heavy, clay pot in which it is cooked. Often rich, sweet and spicy it is the perfect meal to serve on a cool evening.

Serves 6–8

2 tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

1 large knob fresh ginger, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp coriander seeds, crushed

1 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed

1.5kg boned shoulder or leg of lamb,

cut into cubes

200g medjool dates, pitted

400g can chopped tomatoes

400ml lamb or chicken stock, hot

500g couscous

1 tbsp olive oil (extra)

1 lemon, grated zest and juice

handful fresh mint, roughly chopped

1 pomegranate, seeds

1 lemon (extra), cut into wedges, to serve

1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

1 Heat oil in a large, heavy-based pan and gently cook onion, ginger and garlic for 10 minutes until softened. Add cinnamon, coriander and cumin and cook for 5 minutes. Add lamb and cook for 10 minutes. Add dates, tomato and stock. Bring to the boil and then simmer gently, covered, for 2Ω to 3 hours.

2 Put couscous, oil (extra) and lemon zest and juice in a bowl and cover with 600ml boiling water. Cover and leave to cool completely. Use a fork to fluff up couscous and stir in mint and pomegranate seeds.

3 Serve tagine with couscous, lemon (extra) wedges and lime wedges.