The inspiration for this incredibly rich lamb tagine comes directly from the holiday kitchen repertoire of the lovely Nigella Lawson, as featured on her irresistibly festive TV series "Nigella's Christmas Kitchen." This version is somewhat adapted, however, to suit the northern appetites of the frigid and vastly more inhospitable climate in which I am typically cooking it. I prefer prunes, instead of dates, for their tangy depth. And I add far more liquid to the mix. In other words, the end result is quite a bit more earthy in flavor profile...and much, much more saucy. Ideal cold weather comfort food. Frankly, I can't make it through an Alaskan winter without cooking this lamb tagine.
When this tagine is on the menu, a ginger martini is a wonderful way to kick things off. And for dessert, I love a simple glass of syllabub or a fancy slice of pistachio cake to follow this dish.
Ingredients for Lamb Tagine
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- leg of lamb (or shoulder)
- ground cumin
- ground turmeric
- ground coriander
- ground ginger
- ground cinnamon
- ground allspice
- kosher salt
- pomegranate juice
- water
- prunes
- red onion
- lime
- cilantro
- sea salt
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Lamb Tagine
Cook the Tagine
Begin by measuring out all the spices.
Then roughly chop the onions and prunes.
Heat the oven to 325℉. In the meantime, place a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the olive oil.
Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onions. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Then add the ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice.
Stir the spices into the onions and cook for another minute or two, or until the mixture is pleasantly aromatic.
Then turn the heat up to medium-high and add the lamb.
Stir the meat into the onions until it has been mostly browned on all sides.
Then add the roughly chopped prunes, pomegranate juice, and the water.
Add the kosher salt, give the whole mixture a stir, and then bring it to a gentle boil.
Finally, put on the lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for about 2½ hours.
The lamb tagine is done when the color has turned a glossy shade of mahogany and the meat is fork tender.
Prepare the Red Onion Topping
Peel and cut the onion in half. Then slice it into very thin half-moons.
Place the thinly sliced onion into a bowl and pour over the pomegranate juice and lime juice.
Allow the onions to steep for at least half an hour. Then drain them from the steeping liquid. (Discard the liquid.)
Place the steeped onions into a clean bowl and add the cilantro.
Then toss the steeped onions and cilantro together and season to taste with sea salt.
To Serve
Serve the tagine over a fluffy bed of couscous (or alongside heaps of fresh pita bread), and then generously sprinkle over the red onion topping.
Hint: The red onion topping tastes best when it has been just freshly tossed together. In other words, if you are making this tagine a day or two in advance, hold off on preparing the topping until the day you plan to serve it.
Equipment
You will need a large Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid for this lamb tagine. (A traditional tagine pot will be too shallow for this extra saucy version of the dish.) My vessel of choice for this recipe is a 5.5 quart round Le Creuset.
Storage
This tagine, like most stews, tastes even better the day after it is cooked...hence, it's a fabulous dish to serve when you want something that you can make ahead of time. Any leftover lamb tagine will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, and it can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Related
Looking for other cozy (and carnivore obliging) concoctions? Try these:
📖 Recipe
Lamb Tagine
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion chopped
- 2 pounds leg of lamb (or shoulder) trimmed and cut into stew sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 cups pomegranate juice
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup prunes roughly chopped
Red Onion Topping
- 1 small red onion peeled and sliced into very thin half moons
- ½ cup pomegranate juice
- 1 lime
- small bunch fresh cilantro roughly chopped
- sea salt to taste
Instructions
Cook the Tagine
- Heat the oven to 325℉. In the meantime, place a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is heated, add the chopped onions. Cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
- Add the ground cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and allspice. Stir the spices into the onions and cook for another minute or two, or until the mixture is pleasantly aromatic.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high, and then add the lamb. Stir the meat into the onions until it has been mostly browned on all sides.
- Add the chopped prunes, pomegranate juice, water, and the kosher salt. Then bring the mixture to a gentle boil.
- Put on the lid, and then transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for about 2½ hours, or until the color is a glossy shade of mahogany and the lamb is fork tender.
Prepare the Red Onion Topping
- Place the thinly sliced red onion into a bowl. Pour over the pomegranate juice and squeeze in the lime juice. Allow the onions to steep for at least half an hour.
- Drain the onions from the steeping liquid (and discard the liquid).
- Toss the steeped onions with the chopped cilantro and season to taste with sea salt.
To Serve
- Serve the tagine over a fluffy bed of couscous (or alongside heaps of fresh pita bread), and then generously sprinkle over the red onion topping.
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