Very simple to make, fantastic idea for a dinner party as it should be cooked mainly the day before for the taste to mingle to perfection. The Tangine allows for really slow cooking, the cone shaped lid will retain the moisture perfectly and will be great to bring to the table as is!
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the Lamb:
700gr diced lamb (it would be best to use lean shoulder deboned chops and cut in pieces removing the fat)
2 medium carrots in thick slices
2 medium onions in thick pieces
4 big garlic cloves (only cut in 4)
1 heaped tsp cumin
2 heaped tsp paprika
1 level tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp saffron (0.5 mg)
2 heaped tsp ground ginger
2 level tsp garlic powder
2 heaped tsp turmeric
4 crushed cloves
250ml vegetable or chicken broth
2 Tbsp olive oil for the marinade
2 Tbsp olive oil for browning the lamb
1 tsp fine salt
For the Couscous:
200gr couscous
80gr dried apricots cut in 4 pieces each
20gr golden or dark raisins
2 medium onions
4 garlic cloves
1 yellow pepper diced the size of the apricot quarters
1 red pepper diced the size of the apricot quarters
1 heaped tsp cumin
2 heaped tsp paprika
2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder
150gr washed and drained tinned chickpeas
100gr frozen peas
2 Tsp chopped parsley (or 1 Tsp dried parsley)
The zest of 1 lemon
The juice of 1/2 lemon
200ml vegetable broth (it will be discarded afterwards)
300ml vegetable broth (you won't use it all, but handy to have it all ready)
1 tsp fine salt
Method - Lamb:
Ideally prepare the marinade the night before cooking, so it can rest overnight in the fridge - if not, the marinade can rest 2 hours (maximum) at room temperature
Mix the lamb pieces with all the spices and the 2 Tbsp of olive oil, but don't add the salt. Cover and leave it to rest overnight in the fridge or for 2 hours at room temperature
Use a non stick pan, and brown the lamb in batches with 1 Tbsp olive oil, use the second Tbsp olive oil if needed
Stir fry the big pieces of onions, garlic and carrots on high heat in the same pan, mix the salt at this point
Deglaze the pan with the broth, scraping all the juices
Layer the vegetables in your Tangine
Then layer on the lamb pieces and cover with the broth used for deglazing until you reach 1 cm from the border of the Tangine
Measure the height of your Tangine and adjust the oven shelves as needed, then preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (fan)
Put the covered Tangine in the oven, lower it to 150 degrees C (fan) and cook for 2.5 hours
TIP: if preparing this the day before, only cook for 2 hours and when cold put it in the fridge. On the day, pre-heat the oven to 200, put the Tangine back into the oven, lower it down to 150 degrees and cook for 1 hour (as it would have been cold from the fridge it needs a little longer)
Method - Couscous:
Soak the apricot pieces and the raisins in the 200ml warm broth (ensure it's not boiling hot though) for 20-30 mins
Drain and discard the broth
Chop finely the onions and the garlic, then gently stir fry until translucent
Add the diced peppers, the spices and the salt and continue to stir fry
Add a little of the broth if needed for the vegetables not to stick
Stir and add the chickpeas and cook for 3 mins
Stir and add the frozen peas and cook for 5 mins
Add the apricots, the raisins, the lemon zest with the juice, and the parsley and stir well
Add the couscous and stir well, cook for 1 or 2 mins while stirring
Add a little of the broth to the couscous one ladlespoon at a time, waiting for the liquid to be absorbed
TIP: you may need only 1 ladlespoon of broth or 2, as less is more. You want your couscous to be soft, not al dente, but it can overcook and become mushy pretty easily. It's a good idea to cook this 1 hour before serving using as little broth as possible, then when reheating add a little more broth
