Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Fresh Turmeric

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Fresh Turmeric has been added to our regular recipe cycle this winter. The recipe, by Cornersmith, calls for diced lamb shoulder, but we use whatever diced homegrown, home butchered lamb is bagged and wrapped in butchers paper in the freezer. I enjoy the process of pounding and grinding the spice mix in a mortar and pestle, knowing that the mixture will make for a delicious meal. It's the kind of dish that cooks low and slow, and by the time it is on the plate the lamb is incredibly tender and flavoursome. It's also a recipe that makes use of many of our homegrown ingredients: honey, bay, parsley, and bottled tomatoes.

Occasionally, we have meat marked 'Hogget' in the freezer. Not everyone knows what hogget is because it is not something advertised in supermarkets or retail butchers. You might remember the characters Esme and Arthur Hogget, the owners of Babe the pig. Hogget is the meat of a young sheep or maiden ewe with no more than two permanent incisors, hence the interchangeable term 'two-tooth.' Many lamb producers and foodies believe that hogget is more flavoursome than lamb, a sheep under 12 months old. So when I see a package marked Hogget, instead of Lamb, in our freezer I know it will make Lamb Tagine taste even better than usual.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes and Fresh Turmeric, from 'Cornersmith' by Alex Elliott-Howery and James Grant

What you need: 2 star anise, 4 cloves, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 900 g lamb shoulder, cut into 5 cm cubes, 12-16 prunes, stones removed, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 large brown onion, thinly sliced, 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon grated turmeric, 1 cinnamon stick, 4 small carrots, thickly sliced, 1 tablespoon honey, 700 g bottled tomatoes or good quality tinned tomatoes, 3 stips orange zest, 1 bay leaf, 600-700 ml chicken or beef stock, or water, 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped toasted almonds, 1 tablespoon finely chopped preserved lemon rind, couscous to serve.  

What you do: Use a spice grinder or mortar and pestle to ground the star anise, cloves, and coriander and caraway seeds into a fine powder, then stir in the smoked paprika. Place half of the spice mix in a large bowl, add the lamb and mix well, then set aside to marinate for at least two hours, but preferably overnight. In another bowl, soak the prunes for the same amount of time.

Just before cooking, season the marinated lamb with salt and drain the prunes, reserving the soaking liquid. Choose a flameproof casserole or heavy based pan large enough to hold the meat in a single layer. Place over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sear the lamb, turning it to brown evenly on all sides. Remove the meat and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil, along with the onion. Season with salt and pepper and saute for two minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric and cinnamon, together with the rest of the spice mix, and keep cooking, stirring constantly so the spices don't burn, for about five minutes or until the garlic, ginger and turmeric have softened and the spices are fragrant.

Return the seared meat to the pan, then add the carrots, honey and reserved prune -soaking liquid, stirring the base of the pan to deglaze. Pour  in the tomatoes and bring to the boil, then add the orange zest, prunes and bay leaf and simmer for five minutes. Add enough stock or water to cover, bring back to the boil, then reduce to a very low simmer (use a simmer mat if you have one). Cover with a circle of paper, pressing it directly onto the surface of the tagine, then cover with a lid and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

Scatter the parsley, almonds, and preserved lemon over the tagine and serve with couscous. 

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