Nearly time

It’s nearly time for our annual family holiday with my four cousins and their partners. In the past it has included families, children and grandchildren and we have stayed in various different parts of the country. Now it’s just the ten of us and we are heading to near Llangollen in Denbighshire, Wales.. In the past we’ve been to Derbyshire, Kent, Cumbria, Yorkshire, Shropshire, Devon, Forest of Dean and Norfolk.

In the past with up to thirty people it meant a mountain of catering and organising, although we had done it so often that we’re well  familiar with managing. Each family cooks on a different night and  plan in advance so we don’t all cook the same thing! On the first night we have sausages and mash or jacket potatoes, we have roast dinner on Sunday, and on the last night we have roast ham and leftovers..

One year, when it was our turn to cook I made a lamb tagine which was voted meal of the week! Since tehn it has become a regular feature on our week’s menu, and so it is this time that we’ve been asked to make it again. I love lamb in any fashion, but with those gorgeous Moroccan spices it’s just the best!

Here’s my recipe for four hungry people:

For the tagine

• 2 lbs lamb, in pieces, not minced
• 1 ½ tbsp sweet (not smoked) paprika
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• stick of cinnamon
• 1 ½ tbsp. turmeric (make sure it really has flavour, worth spending more on better quality for the taste as well as colour
• 5 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 2 star anise
• 3 bay leaves (if you really don’t like bay leaves and some people don’t, miss them out!
• 2 ½ large onions – really finely chopped
• 1 red chilli – finely chopped (or more if you like a bit of fire)
• 25 g fresh ginger, peeled and mashed to a paste
• 1 ½ pints of chicken or lamb stock (add more if you need)
• Olive oil and salt

For the garnish:

• 2 north African preserved lemons chopped very small (if you really don’t like the salty sour flavour, use lemon juice and fresh lemon zest, and a sprinkle of salt)
• 5 soft prunes/figs/apricots – whichever you like or a mixture, finely chopped
• a little olive oil and lemon juice
• toasted flaked almonds
• chopped coriander and mint (lots) – or any other herbs you really like, but the mint is very much the traditional flavour

1. gently fry the onions garlic, ginger and chilli, then add the spices
2. when they give off their aroma, add the meat and brown, still on quite a gentle heat
3. add the stock – not necessarily all of it if it seems too much
4. bring to a simmer then cook in a very slow oven or slow-cooker for 3-4 hours
5. check occasionally to see it is not getting too dry and add more stock if necessary
6. try to fish out as many of the whole spices as you can then add half of the garnish (see below)
7. serve with the rest of the garnish, couscous/ rice, or any grain you like! A green salad is also nice.

The garnish:

1. Mix the chopped lemons and fruit –  or add the lemon juice, zest and salt to the fruit and mix well
2. add the mixed herbs and really combine well
3. take half of this and stir into the tagine ten minutes before serving
4. add  lemon juice and olive oil  if you want, sprinkle with the almonds,  and serve

You might have read me mention my intense dislike of cinnamon; in actual fact it is the powdered spice which is so ubiquitous these day (and probably is some ersatz version) that I really can’t abide. Whole cinnamon, used in a combination with other spices produces the most lovely aroma and flavour.