Beef and Lamb - Lamb and Lemon Tagine

1.25kg lamb (leg or shoulder, boned)
2tsp each ground paprika pepper, ginger and cinnamon
1 large onion, halved and sliced
1tbsp olive oil
1 small preserved lemon, well rinsed (see tip)
100g pitted black olives
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Close Move

If you cannot find preserved lemons this very quick version works really well in this recipe. Cut off the ends of 2 lemons, cut them in half lengthways and slice thinly. Place in a bowl with 25g coarse sea salt and bruise the lemons with a pestle or wooden spoon. Leave for 1-2 hours, or overnight if possible.

1 Trim the lamb and cut into even size cubes. Sprinkle on the spices and massage into the meat.

2 Toss the meat into a large, heavy based slow cooking saucepan, or Tagine, add the onions and 1tbsp olive oil. Heat through slowly until the meat is beginning to sweat. Then add sufficient boiled water to nearly cover the meat, add the lid and bring slowly to the boil.

3 When it comes to the boil reduce the heat to the minimum and cook very slowly for one hour.

4 Stir in the rinsed and dried sliced lemon pieces, black olives and half the parsley. Continue to cook for a further 20-30 minutes. Set aside to chill overnight and let the flavours strengthen.

5 When ready to serve add the tomatoes and bring slowly back to simmering. Check the seasoning, adding a little of the lemon liquor if you wish, sprinkle with the rest of the parsley and serve with couscous and chickpeas.

shin beef, shoulder or leg of lamb