Lamb and Chickpea Tagine

LAMB TAGINE WITH CHICKPEAS.jpg

Ingredients: 

  • 2-3 lbs lamb butt or shoulder 

  • 1 can chickpeas (or 1 cup homemade chickpeas)

  • 2 Carrots

  • 2 potatoes

  • 1 Onion

  • 6 Garlic cloves

  • 12 Dried Apricots

  • 6-8 Medjool dates or 1/4 cup honey

  • 1/2 bunch Parsley

  • 1/2 bunch Cilantro

Spice Blend:

  • 1 tbsp Salt

  • 1 tbsp Pepper

  • 1 tsp Cinnamon

  • 1 tsp ground Cloves

  • 1 tsp ground Ginger

  • 1 tbsp Turmeric

  • 1 tbsp Cumin

  • 1 tsp Red pepper flakes

  • 1 tbsp Paprika

  • 1 tsp Mustard powder

  • 10-15 Green olives

  • 1 Preserved lemon, sliced

**you will need a traditional moroccan tagine to adequately make this dish, a dutch oven will work but the dish will then be a stew rather than an official tagine**

**I regularly make this in my instant pot. Do everything the same except in the instant pot and pressure cook for 40 minutes.**

Instructions: 

  1. Break down lamb into 3”-4” size pieces 

  2. Dust each seasoning over the Lamb until it is completely covered in spices. 

    1. alternatively you can mix the spice blend first and then dust over chicken

  3. Sear lamb in a cast iron, 

    1. Heat cast iron and add a little high smoke point oil such as avocado, grapeseed, canola etc until oil is very hot. Use plenty of oil, this will become fragrant very quickly. 

    2. Put lamb in hot pan for approx 3-4 mins on each side depending on how hot your pan is when you put the lamb in (I know we all get impatient) 

  4. Roughly chop carrots, potatoes, onion and peeled garlic, adding garbanzo beans at this time put all in a large bowl or ziplock bag and add a dusting of each spice (or the blend) and a glug of oil, toss all until evenly coated 

  5. Spread half the veggies on bottom of tagine base adding some dates and apricots

  6. Put seared lamb on top of veggies and add remaining veggies over the top

  7. Add medjool dates (or a drizzling of honey) and apricots 

  8. At this time if you are adding green olives and preserved lemon add them to any holes you see

  9. Put top on tagine and put in the oven at 325* for several hours, at least 2. Do not take the cover off during this time as it will disrupt the cooking process

  10. When you remove from oven put parsley and cilantro on top not just as garnish but to finish the overall flavor of the dish. 

  11. Serve with couscous or flatbread or eat by itself! You do you!

Adrianna VelozComment