A mouth-watering Moroccan dish of tender lamb in a thick, aromatic sauce with flavours of pomegranate and almond. Served with a fresh herby bulgur wheat salad.
Ingredients
- For the lamb shank tagine
-
- 1 tsp
ras-el-hanout - ½ tsp ground
cinnamon - ½ tsp
ground ginger - ½ tsp smoked sweet
paprika - ½ tsp ground
cumin - ¼ tsp freshly ground
black pepper - ¼ tsp ground
turmeric - 4
lamb shanks - 3 tbsp
olive oil - 1
onion, thickly sliced - 2
garlic cloves, peeled, finely chopped - 1 x 400g/14oz tin
chopped tomatoes - 1 tbsp runny
honey - 2 tbsp pomegranate
molasses (available from Middle Eastern grocers and some supermarkets) - ½ tsp
saffron - 350ml/12fl oz
chicken stock - 125g/4½oz stoneless
dried apricots, halved - 110g/4oz green
olives, stones removed - 75g/2½oz whole
almonds - salt and freshly ground
black pepper - 2
preserved lemons, rind only, chopped
- 1 tsp
- For the tabbouleh
-
- 175g/6oz
bulgur wheat - 350ml/12fl oz
chicken stock - 1 small
red onion, finely chopped - 100g/3½oz
pistachios, roughly chopped - 1
lemon, juice only - 1
pomegranate, seeds only - 3 tbsp extra virgin
olive oil - small bunch each of fresh flat leaf
parsley, coriander and mint, chopped - salt and freshly ground
black pepper
- 175g/6oz
Preparation method
-
For the lamb shank tagine, preheat of the oven to 160C/315F/Gas 3.
-
Mix the ras-el-hanout, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, smoked sweet paprika, ground cumin, freshly ground black pepper and ground turmeric together in a bowl. Add the lamb shanks and turn in the mixture to coat them evenly.
-
Heat a large pan until smoking hot, then add a tablespoon of the olive oil and sear the lamb shanks on all sides for 2-3 minutes, or until golden-brown all over. Remove the lamb shanks from the pan and set aside.
-
Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan and fry the onion and garlic for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the lamb shanks back to the pan and stir well, then add all of the remaining tagine ingredients – except for the coriander and salt and freshly ground black pepper – and bring to a simmer.
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Reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid and place in the oven for two hours, or until the lamb is tender.
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Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the tagine is slightly thickened. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Meanwhile, for the tabbouleh, place the bulgur wheat into a pan with the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes over a low heat. Check that the bulgur wheat is tender. If not cook for a little longer. When cooked drain off the excess stock.
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Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, and then transfer the bulgur wheat to a bowl. Add the red onion, pistachios, lemon juice, pomegranate, olive oil and herbs and mix well. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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To serve, divide the tabbouleh among four serving plates, and then spoon the lamb shank tagine alongside and sprinkle the coriander and preserved lemon over the top and serve.