Lamb tagine

Serves: 4

Prep time: 15 mins

Cook time: 1 hour and 15 minutes Serve with: Cune Rioja Reserva

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp olive oil

800g lamb pieces, shoulder if possible

1 onion, finely diced

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces 1 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

5 tsp ground cinnamon or cinnamon stick

½ tsp ground turmeric

150g raisins

100g almonds, chopped

1 tin of cherry tomatoes

200ml chicken stock

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

METHOD

1. Place a tagine or casserole dish over a medium heat and add one tbsp of olive oil. Tip the lamb pieces into the dish and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat up to high and brown the lamb. Once the lamb has browned, remove to a plate and set aside.

2. Place the casserole dish back on the heat and add another tablespoon of olive oil. Stir in the onions, garlic, sweet potatoes and season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for five minutes. Then remove the cover and stir in the ground cumin, turmeric and cinnamon stick. Stir and cook for a further three minutes to intensify the flavours. 3. Next stir in the tinned cherry tomatoes, hot stock, chickpeas, raisins and chopped almonds. Cover, turn the heat to low and cook for an hour, longer if you can as the meat with become more tender. Serve with the spiced couscous.