Name: Tagine of lamb & merguez sausages
Cook time: 4 h
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 1 tbsp each ground cumin, paprika and turmeric; 1 tsp hot chilli powder; 2 large red onions roughly chopped; 3 garlic cloves; thumb-sized piece ginger roughly chopped; 200ml/ 7fl oz olive oil; 200ml/ 7fl oz lemon juice (about 4 lemons); 1 tbsp honey; large handful flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped; large handful coriander roughly chopped; 6 lamb shanks or a 1kg/2lb 4oz piece lamb or mutton shoulder (if using shoulder ask the butcher to cut it into 10cm chunks on the bone); 4 tbsp olive oil; 2 carrots sliced; 2 red onions sliced; 12 dried prunes; 1 tbsp honey; juice ½ lemon; 8 merguez sausages (optional); 2 preserved lemons homemade (see recipe below) or bought, pulp scooped out, rinsed and finely sliced; 2 mint sprigs, to serve; harissa to serve (see recipe below)

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Tagine of lamb & merguez sausages

Tagine of lamb & merguez sausages

John Torode

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Serves 8

More effort

Cook: 4 hrs

Prep 35 mins plus marinating

A star rating of 4 out of 5.5 ratingsRate

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A famous Moroccan casserole named after the clay dish it's cooked in and containing strong, fragrant flavours

Freezable

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Preserved lemons

A star rating of 5 out of 5.2 ratings

Harissa

A star rating of 3.6 out of 5.14 ratings

Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

For the chermoula marinade

1 tbsp each ground cumin, paprika and turmeric
1 tsp hot chilli powder
2 large red onions

roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
thumb-sized piece ginger

roughly chopped
200ml/ 7fl oz olive oil
200ml/ 7fl oz lemon juice

(about 4 lemons)
1 tbsp honey
large handful flat-leaf parsley

roughly chopped
large handful coriander

roughly chopped

For the tagine

6 lamb

shanks or a 1kg/2lb 4oz piece lamb or mutton shoulder (if using shoulder ask the butcher to cut it into 10cm chunks on the bone)
4 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots

sliced
2 red onions

sliced
12 dried prunes
1 tbsp honey
juice ½ lemon
8 merguez sausages

(optional)
2 preserved lemons

homemade (see recipe below) or bought, pulp scooped out, rinsed and finely sliced
2 mint

sprigs, to serve
harissa

to serve (see recipe below)

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal852
fat65g
saturates19g
carbs21g
sugars15g
fibre4g
protein45g
salt1.4g

low

Method

step 1

For the marinade, roast the spices in a dry pan for a couple mins until fragrant. Put remaining marinade ingredients in a blender and process to a smooth paste, then add the roast spices and blend again to combine. Place the lamb in a large bowl and pour over the marinade. Leave in the paste overnight, or for at least 2 hrs to absorb all the flavours.
step 2

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. In a large roasting tin, big enough to fit the meat in one single layer, heat the oil and place over a high heat on the hob. Remove the meat from the marinade, wiping off and reserving any excess, then brown shanks on all sides in the hot oil.
step 3

Add remaining marinade to the dish along with the carrots, onions and prunes, then pour in 1 litre water. Cover the dish tightly with foil and cook in a low oven for 3½-4 hrs until the meat is tender and falling away from the bone. Add the honey, lemon juice and seasoning and keep warm.
step 4

If using, fry the sausages until cooked through, then add to the tagine. Serve the meat in a large bowl with the sauce spooned over, then scatter with the preserved lemons and mint, and serve the harissa on the side.

RECIPE TIPS

PORTIONING UP

Merguez are thin, harissa-flavoured lamb sausages. If the idea of eating sausages as well as lamb is too much, just cook the shanks, then this dish will serve 6.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, March 2012

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A star rating of 4 out of 5.5 ratings

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