Lamb Tagine with Apricots + Video | Silk Road Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is the best cut of lamb for a tagine? ›

The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It's a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that's marbled with fat so it's beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.

You can use any dried fruit here instead of apricots. Sweet jammy dates are a more intensely sugary substitute, and they are highly traditional. Golden raisins are a more tart option. Figs, prunes and dark raisins can also be used.

To serve, place the tagine on serving plates with couscous and a wedge of lime. Serve alongside a bowl of thick Greek yoghurt.

Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, raisins or sultanas, flaked almonds, saffron, lamb stock and honey to the casserole dish. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitted lid, place in the oven and cook for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender.

The leg and rack of lamb are perfect for herb-crusting and oven-roasting; since the shank and shoulder are a bit tougher, they fare well in stews or braises—the long cook time allows them to significantly break down and become fork-tender.

Nutrition: Lamb is a nutrient-dense meat that is rich in protein, iron, and vitamin B12. It is also lower in fat than beef and has fewer calories. Versatility: Lamb is a versatile meat that works well in a variety of dishes, from meatballs and burgers to shepherd's pie and curry.

Apricots work well in many savory dishes, particularly next to lamb and poultry, as well as in desserts and confections. Complementary spices include curry, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise. For a real treat, try apricots in any recipe combined with pistachios or almonds.

Peaches and nectarines may be substituted for apricots in most recipes. The flavor will not quite be the same, but the result will still be delicious.

Dried or fresh fruits are often key additions to sweet and savory Moroccan tagines such as this one. Here, chicken is stewed until tender with onions, saffron, ginger, ​and pepper, and the dish is then topped with apricots and a honey-cinnamon syrup.

What to serve with tagine. Brown white or saffron rice are a staple side for tagine, but it's by no means the only option. Tagine can be enjoyed with bread, couscous, traditional Arabic tomato and cucumber salad, fresh green salad, olives, potato cakes, the options are limitless.

What vegetables go with lamb tagine? ›

Oven-roasting vegetables like carrots, zucchini, and bell peppers brings out their natural sweetness and intensifies their flavor. Seasoned with olive oil, salt, and your choice of herbs, these colorful, nutritious vegetables provide a delicious contrast to the rich tagine, adding variety and depth to your meal.

One secret to a stellar tagine is cooking the meat to just the right stage, almost falling off the bone, but not quite. Remember that even a stew can become overcooked and stringy, so pull the meat as soon as it is ready. Another is to check in to monitor its progress from time to time.

They cannot resist thermo shocks and can easily crack. Please refrain from adding cold water on a hot tagine during cooking or right after. Start cooking with low heat until the tagine is warm. Then proceed to medium heat and do not increase the heat too high, keep it on a steady/stable temperature all the way.

Some tagines have a small hole at the top of the lid that releases steam, meaning the sauce reduces as the steam escapes. But if your tagine doesn't have a hole, reduce the sauce by removing the lid in the last 15-30 minutes of cooking.

Shoulder or leg of lamb: both of these cuts are perfect in a stew or casserole when diced. Meat from the shoulder needs to be trimmed of excess fat first; while meat from the leg gives neater, leaner pieces of meat than the shoulder. Both are meltingly tender with a fantastic flavour.

LAMB LOIN CHOPS

One of the most readily available cuts in the case at the grocery store and butcher shop, loin chops are lean, tender and delicious! With their perfect 3- to 4-ounce serving size and attractive “T” shaped bone that runs through the meat, loin chops (sometimes called T-bone chops) are simple to prepare.

Lamb rack is one of the best cuts and is very popular. It's always a great dinner party centrepiece, grilled whole and served with seasonal produce. A whole lamb rack can take 20-30 mins to cook and is best served pink in the middle to keep the meat tender.

Lamb Rack is the most expensive cut (and the most photogenic). Lamb cuts like Lamb Shank, Lamb Neck, and Lamb Shoulder are ideal for slow cooking / braising. The best Lamb Cut award for us goes to Lamb Loin Chops ~ a perfect balance of price to an amazing eating experience.