Ingredients
- 50 g (1 3/4 oz) slivered almonds
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cubed
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons chopped coriander (cilantro)
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons ground almonds
- 1 orange
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 180 g (6 oz) pitted dates
- 4 sprigs coriander (cilantro), torn into leaves
- couscous
Method
1. Heat a large stockpot or flameproof casserole dish and dry-fry the almonds until golden. Reserve. Add half the oil and brown the lamb in batches over a high heat. season each batch lightly with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl after each is done.
2. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the onion and garlic. Lower the heat and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until softened. Stir in the chopped and ground coriander, cumin, cinnamon, turmeric, ginger and cayenne and cook for 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pan and stir the ground almonds through. Grate the zest from the orange and squeeze out the juice. Add both to the lamb and stir the stock in.
3. Bring to the boil then lower the heat. Cover and simmer gently for 2 hours. Add half the dates and simmer for a further 20 minutes, leaving the lid off if the sauce needs to thicken. the dates will turn to pulp.
4. Preheat the grill (broiler) to hot and toast the remaining dates for about 3-4 minutes until crusty all over. stir the toasted almonds into the tagine and scatter the grilled dates and the coriander leaves over the top. serve with couscous.
