Lamb and Chickpea Tagine with Apricots

• 2 tbspolive oil
• 600gdiced lamb shoulder
• 2onions, chopped
• 4garlic cloves, crushed
• 20gginger, grated
• 2 tbspras el hanout
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• 500mlchicken stock
• 2 x 400gtins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 120gdried apricots, halved
• 2carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 tbsphoney
• 1lemon, juiced
• fine salt
• black pepper
• 300gcouscous
• 360mlhot vegetable stock
• 40gflaked almonds, toasted
• 20gcoriander, chopped
• 150gGreek yoghurt (optional)

Method

1. 1Heat the oven to 160C fan. Pat the lamb dry and season. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a high heat and brown the lamb in two batches for 4 minutes each until dark at the edges. Set aside.
2. 2Turn the heat to medium, add the onions with a pinch of salt and cook for 8 minutes until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic, ginger, ras el hanout and cinnamon for 1 minute until the spices smell warm.
3. 3Return the lamb, add the tomatoes, stock, chickpeas, apricots, carrots and honey with plenty of black pepper; taste before adding salt because the stock is already seasoned. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours until the lamb is soft enough to cut with a spoon and the sauce has thickened.
4. 4If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered on the hob for 10 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, taste and season; it should be sweet, warm and a little sharp.
5. 5During the final 10 minutes of cooking, put the couscous in a bowl, pour over the hot stock, cover and leave for 8 minutes, then fork through.
6. 6Serve the tagine over the couscous, scattered with almonds and coriander, with yoghurt on the side if you like.

Per serving

kcal

792

protein

34g

fibre

14.4g

carbs

86.9g

fat

34.7g