Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Photo: flickr user kimberlykv

Ingredients

700 grams boned shoulder of lamb (weight after boning)

1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned flour

3 tablepoons oil

2 mediums onions sliced

2 green peppers de seeded and sliced

1 small head of fennel

425 ml wegetable stock

1 teaspoon x heaped grated root ginger or teaspoon ground ginge

2 generous pinches of saffron

1 strip of orange peel

110 grams dried apricots chopped

tablepoons lemon juice

1 salt and freshly milled black pepper

Preparation

You will need a 2.5 litre) flameproof casserole

Preheat oven to gas mark 2 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).

Start off by cutting the lamb into bite sized cubes removing any excess fat.

Then coat the cubes in seasoned flour.

Now heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan and fry the cubes of meat to seal and brown them nicely.

So as not to overcrowd the pan and produce too much steam cook the meat in about 4 batches.

As the pieces brown transfer them to the casserole.

When all the meat is taken care of add another tablespoon of oil and cook the onions and pepper just to brown them a little at the edges too.

Remove any green fronds from the fennel and reserve them.

Cut off the top trim the root and cut the fennel in half and then in quarters. Transfer the peppers and onion to the meat and finally brown the fennel a little on all sides and then transfer that too to the casserole.

Next add the ginger orange peel the stock and some seasoning and bring everything to simmering point.

Finally crush the saffron to a powder with a pestle and mortar ladle a little of the hot liquid on to it and let it soak for 5 minutes and then pour it in with the rest.

Stir and put a lid on and cook in the oven for 1 3/4 hour.

After that add apricots and lemon juice replace the lid and cook for a further 15 minutes.

This is very good served with brown rice.

Serves 4

This is a typical North African dish where meat and fruit are simmered together. We think this one is a real discovery as new ideas for casseroles are hard to come by.