I’ve always loved the combination of sweet and savory and this tagine adapted from Claudia Roden’s spectacular book Arabesque is, for me, the perfect blend of flavors. By using Spice Tree Organics newest spice blend, Ras El Hanout, I got all the aromas of North Africa without having to hunt through my spice cupboard and use jars that have been languishing far longer than they should have.

 

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Almonds

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 onion, finely diced

2 lbs lamb, diced into 1 inch cubes

2 tablespoons Moroccan Ras El Hanout

Salt and pepper

1 cinammon stick

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 cup prunes

1 tablespoon honey

1/2 cup blanched almonds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley and fresh mint for serving

Couscous for serving

 

Method:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large dutch oven and sauté the onion until soft and translucent.

2. Add the lamb and brown for a 2-3 minutes then stir in the Ras El Hanout and season well with salt and pepper.

3. Add the stock and the cinammon stick and reduce to a simmer. Cover and cook for 2-3 hours or until the meat is fork tender.

4. Add the prunes and honey, then simmer for a further 30 minutes uncovered until the sauce has reduced and thickened. Taste for seasoning.

5. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and fry the almonds until they brown.

6. Sprinkle the almonds, parsley and mint over the meat and serve with couscous.