Traditional Moroccan Lamb Tagine 

Lamb TagineKevinAshton 2021

In recent years Tagine dishes from Morocco have become much more well known thanks to the internet and people taking holidays abroad.  The history of tagine dates back to the time of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth Abbasid Caliph. The earliest written records about the concept of cooking in a tagine appear in the famous One Thousand and One Nights, an Arabic-language story collection from the ninth century. 

If you wish to be authentic, it’s important to understand that not all Tagine pots are the same. Traditional ones are made of thick earthenware and meant to be used on top of the hob, but others are only ovenproof but not tough enough to stand being on the stove top.  Some Tagines are purely decorative and only suitable to serve your Tagine dish in at the table. 

Cooking notes

So make sure you carefully checkout the details when looking to buy. The point of a Tagine is the lid keeps the moisture trapped inside and thus the food is moist and tender. That said if you don’t wish to buy a Tagine dish a lidded casserole will perform just as well.

Ras el Hanout is Moroccan blend of spices and usually includes  Paprika, Ginger, Black Pepper, Coriander, Cardamom, Allspice, Turmeric, Mace, Nutmeg, Chilli Powder, Cloves and Rose Petals.  Ras el Hanout is sometimes called middle eastern curry powder.

Traditional Moroccan Lamb Tagine  © Kevin Ashton 2021

Ingredients serves 4-6 people

1½ kilo shoulder of lamb cut into large pieces Trim off excess fat and any gristle 

1 Tbsp good quality Honey

½  Tbsp finely chopped  fresh ginger

2 ½  Tbsp of Ras el Hanout

½  Tbsp Turmeric Powder

 1 teaspoon cumin

1 Tbsp cinnamon

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

2 Tbsp Olive oil

3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 Good  pinch of Saffron

150 grams sliced white Onions

1 x 400 grams tin chopped tomatoes

500  ml Lamb stock or water

1 x 400 ml tin of tomatoes (blended)

15 grams fresh chopped coriander

Method

  1. Mix  the spices except the saffron into a paste together with 1 Tbsp of butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil.
  2. Marinate lamb pieces for at least 3 hours or better still over night to help tenderize the meat.
  3. Once the lamb has marinated, then cover the saffron in just enough boiling water to cover it (to release the flavour).
  4. Preheat the oven to 175 C 
  5. Brown lamb pieces for 4 minutes on each side on a high heat, turning from time to time. You may need to brown the lamb in 2 batches.
  6. Place the lamb into your oven safe tagine, and then brown the sliced onions  for 2-3 minute until they begin to lightly brown.
  7. Add the saffron and water and stir well, then add the lamb stock and the blended tomatoes.
  8. Once the sauce comes to a simmer carefully pour it onto the lamb, put the tagine lid on and carefully move to the oven.
  9. Cook for 1 hour and 50 minutes until tender, in the meantime make the garnishes.

75g Prunes 

75g Apricots

Juice of 1 small lemon

1 Tbsp honey

½  teaspoon mixed spices

150 ml water

Blanched Almonds

20 g unsalted butter

1/2 Tbsp olive oil

  1. Mix the prunes, apricots, mixed spices, honey and lemon juice together in a bowl.
  2. Bring 150 ml water to a gentle simmer and add the fruit. Cook for 3-4 minutes and remove the fruit and reduced liquid down to a syrup and pour over fruit. 
  3. Fry the blanched almonds on a medium heat with the butter and olive oil until they begin to get colour then remove and drain.

To Serve

If possible serve your Lamb Tagine in its cooking pot and decorate with the prunes, apricots, almonds and chopped fresh coriander.

ChefsNote:

When I created this recipe and video during lockdown I was unable buy prunes so I doubled up on the apricots.

LambTagine©Kevin Ashton 2021

You can also watch my Youtube video, like and subscribe 🙂

Lamb Tagine 

23 thoughts on “Traditional Moroccan Lamb Tagine ”

    1. Hi Elvira,
      Glad you like my Lamb Tagine recipe and video.
      Hope you summeri is going well and not too hot?
      Thanks for your continued support and friendship.
      August has been a very busy time teaching online, filming videos and writing for my blogs and social media but it is also very satisfying.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Hi Kevin,
        Looks amazing! Thank’s for your kindness. My summer some days is too hot, but that’s great! Hope yours as well. Always a pleasure, so glad with you for your support and friendship too. Makes me so happy that you have a lot of cooking lessons you are an awesome chef.
        And Sophie helps you with videos both are doing a great work! Congratulations! Keep cooking, keep happy! Thank you.
        All the best 🙂
        Elvira

        Liked by 1 person

      2. The rest of Europe is having a heatwave but the UK has had a lot of rain during much of July and August. Thankfully I have a 3 metre x 3 metre gazebo to do my BBQ masterclass under.
        Best Wishes
        Kevin

        Liked by 1 person

  5. I am originally from Morocco and I can tell from the picture that it looks absolutely like a a tagline you would get in Morocco. Cooked in the clay pot (also called tagine) is the best. The mix of spices (ras ahanout) as you said is the secret recipe to make so flavourful. Now, I am craving a good tagline so badly thanks for that Kevin 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Thank you Rachel for your kind words.
      I know from my time living and working in the US that lamb is not as available as chicken or pork.
      This situation has its roots in American history, where cattle ranchers drove many sheep farmers off the land, illegally.
      Thus many Americans don’t try lamb until they are adults and eating at restaurants.
      Thankfully this is slowly changing as lamb becomes more available and the internet has also helped in broadening America’s culinary palate. I think there is nothing better than food to bring people together. I know it has and continues to teach me a lot.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. Kevin, would you be upset if I did a video of me cooking this dish and posting it on YouTube. I will credit you and leave a link. I just got a Tagine and your Lamb recipe beats any other that I have seen so far.

    Best wishes

    Graham

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Graham, please feel free to cook a Lamb Tagine for your YouTube channel and yes I’d appreciate a link to my recipe.
      Let me know when it is live so I can leave a comment and thank you so much for your kind words.
      Best Wishes
      Kevin 🙂

      Like

      Reply

      1. Thank you so much Kevin. I’m starting with a beef stew with the Tagine, just to see how I get along with it. It has a cast iron base and ceramic top so I’ll try it on a single hob. This will be filmed on Sunday. I’m about 5 videos ahead of the game at the moment so the Tagine won’t be feature until at least the beginning of October.

        Thank you again and as an afterthought, have you got ‘The Complete Asian Cookbook’ by Charmaine Solomon? I’ve got the edition printed for WH Smith in 1990. It’s a great book.

        All the best

        Graham

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thanks for update, I look forward to seeing it later this year.
        I haven’t heard of that cookbook but I will try to pick up a secondhand copy and check it out. If I like it,I will buy the latest version from Amazon. It must be a decent book if it is still in print 40 plus years later.
        Best Wishes
        Kevin 🙂

        Like

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