Name: North African lamb tagine
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 180 min
Total time: 195 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: African
Ingredients: 1/2 cup salt coarse or kosher; 4-5 lemon; 1 cup lemon juice; 1 bay leaves; 4 lamb shanks; 1 tsp salt and freshly ground black pepper; 2 tsp ginger ground; 2 tsp cinnamon ground; 1 tsp turmeric ground; 1 tsp coriander ground; saffron soaked in water; lemon juice only; 1 onion; 2 garlic cloves; 1 cinnamon stick; 3 cup stock beef or lamb; 1/4 cup lemon preserved; 1 cup apricots dried, halved; 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup almonds toasted; fresh parsley to garnish; 1 cup couscous; 1 cup stock lamb

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Ingredients (23)

PRESERVED LEMON:

1/2 cup	salt — coarse or kosher
4-5	lemon
1 cup	lemon juice
1	bay leaves

TAGINE:

4	lamb shanks
1 tsp	salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp	ginger — ground
2 tsp	cinnamon — ground
1 tsp	turmeric — ground
1 tsp	coriander — ground
	saffron — soaked in water
	lemon — juice only
1	onion
2	garlic — cloves
1	cinnamon — stick
3 cup	stock — beef or lamb
1/4 cup	lemon — preserved
1 cup	apricots — dried, halved
1/2 cup	honey
1/2 cup	almonds — toasted
	fresh parsley — to garnish

TOASTED COUSCOUS:

1 cup	couscous
1 cup	stock — lamb

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Method:

To make the preserved lemons, cover the bottom of a sterilised jar with a layer of coarse salt. Cut the lemons into quarters, without cutting all the way through to the base. Place a teaspoon of salt in the centre of the lemon, place in the jar and repeat with the remaining lemons. Push the lemons down firmly with a wooden spoon, until they are very tightly packed in the jar. Pour over the lemon juice to cover, add bay leaf and any remaining salt. Seal the jar and store in a cool dark place for a month before using. Use only the rind, scrape away flesh and pith.

For the tagine, toss together the salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, saffron along with its liquid and lemon juice in a shallow bowl. Rub this onto the shanks and marinate for 2 hours.

Heat oil in a deep pot and brown shanks. Remove and set aside. Sauté onion and garlic in the remaining oil, return shanks to the pot, add cinnamon stick and cover with stock. Add ¼ preserved lemon, roughly chopped (pith and flesh removed). Simmer over low heat for 2 hours. Add apricots and honey. Cook for another half an hour.

Toast the couscous in a dry frying pan until golden brown. Place in a heat-proof bowl and cover with hot stock. Wrap the bowl with cling film and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

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