  Type: Main courses
1 kg boneless lamb, trimmed & cubed
3 T olive oil
1 onion - finely chopped
Crushed garlic, 4 cloves
Small piece of fresh ginger, grated
Pinch of saffron threads
3 T liquid honey
1-2 cups beef stock
1 400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup dried apricots
Salt & pepper seasonings to taste
2 T Ras el hanout mix, see next page "basic flavourings"
½ cup of freshly chopped mint to serve
Some Basic Tagine flavourings that we have used...
Chermoula – a wet spice mix traditionally used as a marinade for fish; a small bunch of coriander, a small bunch of parsley, 3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled. Zest and juice of 1 lemon, 1 red chilli (seeds removed), ¼ cup olive oil, 1 teaspoon ground cumin and salt & pepper to taste. Pound all ingredients together in a mortar & pestle or food processor to form a rough textured paste.
Ras el hanout – a dry complex multiple spices blend. Of all the spice blends in the world ras el hanout is possibly the most complicated and highly regarded. Meaning the "head of the shop", ras el hanout is an exotic blend of numerous spices that when mixed is commonly added to many "warming" dishes; 1 teaspoon each of fennel, cumin and coriander seeds toasted and ground. 1 teaspoon each of ground turmeric and cinnamon, 2 teaspoons each of sweet paprika and ginger, ½ teaspoon each of cayenne, ground nutmeg, cloves, all spice and cardamom, ½ teaspoon each of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine all spices.
Preserved lemons – lemons preserved in brine can be purchased from Middle Eastern delicatessens or can easily be made at home.
As with dried figs or prunes, mechmech, small aromatic dried apricots, can enhance any chicken or lamb TAGINE with their deliciously unique and subtle flavour.
Make up ras el hanout mix as instructed on "basic flavourings". Warm SCANPAN TAGINE on a medium heat; add oil and lamb, cook until lamb is browned. Add garlic, onion, ginger, saffron and ras el hanout and cook for 2 minutes. Add half of the beef stock, honey and heat until just simmering, cover with lid and simmer for 45 minutes, check regularly during cooking time and add more stock as required to keep the mix quite moist. Add chickpeas and apricots and simmer for a further 45 minutes or until meat is very tender, again adding extra beef stock as required. Remove the lid, season to taste, simmer gently with the lid off until the sauce is reduced and of a thick consistency. Sprinkle with freshly chopped mint to serve. This dish is ideally served with a crispy green salad "spiked" with chilli to compliment the sweetness of the dish.
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