I feel that tagines are very exotic and yet it utilises ingredients that we use everyday. So in reality, you can easily make it in your kitchen. Don’t worry about not having a tagine pot, the conical claypot synonymous with this dish. You can use a nice casserole dish. No problem at all. And don't fret either if you don't have preserved lemons in your pantry (though it’s easy to make- basically stuff whole lemons in a jar with lots of salt and let it sit for a month or two), you can just use fresh lemon rind to get that slightly edgy acidic taste.
While people tend to cook for moms on Mother's Day, Father's Day is more of an eating out affair. But if you fancy lazing at home with your family, try a tagine for something different. It's almost a given (unless your dad is vegetarian) that men LIKE meat. But instead of throwing a steak on a pan or sizzling some lamb chops, give your Daddy dearest a Moroccan treat. And best of all it’s a recipe you can do again and again to entertain your friends or to treat your partner.
Make sure your butcher cleans your lamb shank well
Main Ingredients:
4 big onions
4 cloves of garlic
4-6 lamb shanks
4 carrots
6-10 new potatoes (no need to peel)
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Chicken stock (4 tablespoons concentrated stock with 3 cups water)
Aromatics:
This is for the marinade
2 cloves of garlic
1 big onions
1 teaspoon pepper
10 cili padi (if you don't want it spicy use red chillies)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon sweet soya sauce
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
Lemon peel from 1 lemon
Method:
Rub the coriander and cumin powder on the lamb shanks evenly
Pound the garlic, onions and black pepper
Mix the pounded ingredients with the other aromatics
Coat the lambshanks with the mixture
Put the marinated lamb shank on top of the cut vegetables in the casserole dish
Pour chicken stock over the lamb
Cover dish with aluminum foil. You must cover it properly if you do not have a tagine so that the steam will not come out
That’s why it’s best to cook it in a tagine because a tagine keeps the steam locked in.
Mmm... little lambs ready for cooking
Put it in the oven for 2 hours on 170 degrees.
Check on it after an hour and mix it around a little. Taste it and add salt if needed.
For the last 20 minutes uncover it so the lamb shanks will brown nicely.
"Fragrant meat that falls off the bones"
Mediterranean Salad
This salad goes a treat with the tagine. It has loads of crunch and a salty flavour from the feta cheese to cut through the meatiness of the lamb.
Ingredients:
Japanese cucumber
Cherry tomatoes
Onions
Olives
Feta cheese
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
Fresh basil leaves
This salad with bring colour to your dinner table
Method:
Chop all the vegetables into a bowl
Add the feta cheese along with some of the herb olio it usually comes with
Add a bit more olive oil is so desired and a squeeze of lemon juice
Add some basil leaves for garnish
Results:
The meat from the shanks should fall off the bones. You might need to keep it a little longer in the oven if the vegetables are still hard. Of course if you are using a tagine, the result will be even more fantastic. The lamb will be soft, fragrant and infused with the spices and gravy. The casserole effect is still incredibly delicious though.
Eat it with the salad and couscous. Since you are already slaving over the tagine, there's nothing wrong with instant couscous. There's some really good ones you can buy on the shelf where you just need to add hot water and a little oil to it.
Lamb dressed in spices for you to wolf down
Chef Says:
If you don't like lamb, you can easliy substitute it with beef or chicken. You need less time with chicken (about an hour to cook).
If you are buying a tagine, try and find the heavy clay ones/ terracotta since they can withstand direct fire i.e. stovetop or coal fire (which is the traditional method). The lovely porcelain ones are usually decorative and will crack on direct heat. There's no reason why you can't use them for serving though.
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