Christmas Lamb Tagine with Pomegranate Couscous

When you think of Christmas you probably think of turkey, ham or even beef but do you think of lamb? Although I am vegan my husband is a meat eater and lamb is one of his favourites.

There are lots of traditional lamb recipes out there which involve mint and rosemary but have you considered something a bit different? On my recent trip to Morocco, I experienced lots of new flavours and cooking techniques which I think would be perfect for a festive feast.

This lamb and date tagine is flavoured with coriander, cumin, cinnamon and ginger and served with pomegranate couscous for a pop of sweetness. It might look like a lot of ingredients, but it is not a tricky recipe at all, especially if you order your Christmas lamb online from someone like Graig Farm.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 chopped onions
• 1 large knob of chopped fresh ginger
• 4 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon of crushed coriander seeds
• 1 teaspoon light crushed cumin seeds
• 1.5kg boned shoulder or leg of lamb, cubed.
• 200g pitted Medjool dates
• 400g of chopped tomatoes
• 400ml of hot lamb or chicken stock
• 1 lemon and 1 lime, cut into wedges, to serve

For the pomegranate couscous

• 500g of couscous
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• The zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Handful fresh mint, roughly chopped
• Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Method

1. Cook the onions, ginger and garlic in an oiled heavy-based pan for 10 minutes until soft.
2. Throw all the spices into the pan and cook for 5 minutes before adding the cubed lamb. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
3. Add the dates, tomatoes and stock to the pan and bring to the boil.
4. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer gently for 2½-3 hours until the lamb is very tender.
5. To prepare the couscous add it to a bowl with the lemon zest, juice and cover with 600ml of boiling water.
6. Leave the couscous to cool completely before using a fork to fluff it up before adding the mint and pomegranate seeds and stir.
7. Serve the couscous with the tagine and garnish with citrus wedges.