Lamb Tagine With Prunes Recipe
🕒 Cook Time: 3 hours
🕒 Prep Time: 45 minutes
🕒 Total Time: 3 hours 45 minutes
🍽️ Servings: 4
Description:
This Lamb Tagine with Prunes recipe is a savory delight that brings together tender lamb shanks with a flavorful blend of spices and sweet prunes. It’s a perfect dish for those craving an exotic and hearty meal. While it may seem a bit intricate, the effort is well worth it for the rich and aromatic flavors it delivers. For optimal results, consider cooking the shanks the day before to allow for easier fat removal.
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 lamb shanks
- 3 onions, grated and sliced
- 1 tablespoon ras el hanout spice mix
- 1 tablespoon butter
- Pinch of saffron
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 chopped tomato
- 2 cups canned chickpeas
- 2 cups pumpkin or squash, diced
- 1 cup prunes, pitted
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
-
Prepare the Shanks:
- Coat lamb shanks with grated onion, ras el hanout, salt, and pepper.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours to marinate.
- In a heavy-based pan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter.
- Add the marinated meat and brown on all sides.
- Pour in the saffron, add the cinnamon stick, and pour in enough water to just cover the meat.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender.
- Allow the shanks to cool slightly, then remove them from the liquid.
-
Prepare the Sauce:
- Reserve the cooking liquid, skimming off any fat, or refrigerate overnight and remove the solidified fat.
- Remove the meat from the bones, discarding any fat, gristle, and bones.
- Season the meat with additional salt and pepper, then refrigerate.
- In a separate medium pan, heat the remaining butter and olive oil.
- Add the sliced onions and sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes until browned.
- Reduce the heat to low and cook for an additional 20 minutes until the onions are soft and caramelized.
- Add the chopped tomato and reserved cooking liquid from the lamb, bringing it to a boil.
- Stir in the chickpeas and diced pumpkin or squash, then return the lamb to the pan.
- Simmer covered for 15 minutes, then remove the lid and simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
-
Serve:
- Serve the Lamb Tagine with Prunes immediately, accompanied by pita bread or lavash.
- Optionally, serve with harissa sauce for an extra kick of flavor.
Nutritional Information (per serving):
- Calories: 1128.1
- Fat: 52.7g
- Saturated Fat: 21.9g
- Cholesterol: 347.6mg
- Sodium: 457.2mg
- Carbohydrates: 56.5g
- Fiber: 7.5g
- Sugar: 21.9g
- Protein: 105.1g
This Lamb Tagine with Prunes is a culinary journey through African flavors, combining tender lamb with aromatic spices and sweet prunes for a truly memorable dish. Enjoy the rich and hearty flavors of this exquisite tagine recipe with your loved ones!
