Spiced Lamb Tagine with Roast Vegetable Couscous

Name: Spiced Lamb Tagine with Roast Vegetable Couscous
Total time: 240 min
Ingredients: olive oil; 1.5 kg lamb shoulder (cut into large pieces); 2 onion (thinly sliced); 3 cloves garlic (grated); 1 tbsp ground cinnamon; 1 tbsp ground cumin; 1 tbsp ground turmeric; 2 tsp ras el hanout; 1 tsp ground cardamom; 2 tinned chopped tomatoes; 150 g medjool dates (pitted & torn in half); 500 ml chicken stock (or veg); 400 g tinned chickpeas (drained & rinsed); sea salt; ground black pepper; 1 courgette (sliced); 1 aubergine (sliced); 1 carrot (cut into 1cm pieces); 1 red onion (cut into wedges); 300 g couscous; 1 cube chicken stock; 1 lemon (zest and juice); large bunch fresh parsley (finely chopped); large bunch fresh coriander; 80 g pistachios; 100 g pomegranate seeds; flatbreads

240 mins

675 cals per serving

Donal's Notes

For a proper weekend treat- Spiced Lamb Tagine with Roast Vegetable Couscous. For something with a bit more exotic warmth, this Spiced Lamb Tagine is full of fragrant spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander, this dish will transport you to warmer climates—even if the rain is coming at you sideways outside. The lamb is slow-cooked until it’s meltingly tender, while the roasted vegetable couscous makes the perfect accompaniment. It’s hearty, fragrant, and just the thing to warm you up from the inside out.

Equipment

Large pot or casserole

Chopping knife

Chopping board

Wooden spoon

Measuring jug

Griddle pan

Fork

Colander

Method

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in an ovenproof casserole pot and set over a medium heat. Season the lamb, then add it to the pot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring regularly, until nicely browned. Remove to a plate and set aside. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.

Once all the lamb is cooked, add a splash of water to the pan and scrape up all that flavour from the bottom, then add the onions and fry for 5 minutes until softening. Add the garlic and ground spices and fry for 2 minutes, stirring to make sure the spices don’t stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the chopped tomatoes, dates, stock and bring to a simmer, then add the lamb back to the pan along with any resting juices and reduce the heat to low. Simmer gently for 3 hours, stirring every so often.

For the last 30 minutes of the cooking time, stir in the chickpeas to warm through.

Whilst the tagine cooks, make up 300ml of chicken stock and pour over the couscous in a large heatproof bowl. Cover the bowl with cling film or a plate and leave to steam.

Preheat the oven to 200°C /180°C fan/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Heat a griddle pan over a medium-high heat. Drizzle all of the vegetables with a little olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Griddle the vegetables, in batches, until they have deep char marks then, when griddled, place onto a large roasting tray.

Place the griddle vegetables into the oven to cook through for about 20 minutes then remove and set aside to cool slightly.

Shell the pistachios and toast on a dry pan, tossing to make sure they don't burn.

When ready to serve, fluff up the couscous with a fork and stir through a good glug of extra-virgin olive oil along with the zest and juice of 1 lemon. Add lots of chopped parsley and stir that through along with the roasted vegetables. Season to taste and serve with the tagine, topped with lots of coriander, pistachios and pomegranate seeds.