Slow Cooked Lamb & Chickpea Stew

• 800 gdiced lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbspras el hanout
• 400 mllamb stock
• 1 x 400gtin chopped tomatoes
• 1 tbsptomato purée
• 1large onion, roughly chopped
• 4garlic cloves, sliced
• 20 gpreserved lemon rind, rinsed and finely sliced
• 480 gdrained chickpeas (from two 400 g tins), rinsed
• 2carrots, finely diced
• Fine salt, to taste
• 10 gflat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
• 300 gcooked couscous (optional)
• Black pepper, to taste

Method

1. 1Pat the lamb dry on kitchen paper. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-based casserole over a high heat until it shimmers.
2. 2Brown the lamb in two batches, leaving each piece undisturbed for about 8–10 minutes per batch, turning until deeply caught and mahogany. Don't crowd the pan; all at once and the meat boils in its own juices instead of building the fond you'll deglaze later. Transfer to a plate.
3. 3Lower the heat to medium and add the onion and finely diced carrot to the same pan, scraping up the brown stuck bits as they release. Cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and starting to catch at the edges. Add the sliced garlic and cook for just 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. 4Tip in the ras el hanout, cumin and cinnamon and fry them through the onion for a full 1–2 minutes until the kitchen smells warm and resinous. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another minute to take the rawness off.
5. 5Return the lamb and any resting juices to the pan. Pour in the chopped tomatoes and lamb stock. Scatter in the sliced preserved lemon rind. Bring up to a steady simmer.
6. 6Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook on the lowest heat your hob will hold for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every 20 minutes or so to stop catching on the base. The lamb should be tender but still holding its shape, and the sauce noticeably thickened.
7. 7Stir in the drained chickpeas and continue cooking uncovered for a further 25–30 minutes until the sauce is glossy and deep red and the lamb is completely yielding to a spoon. Give the lamb longer if needed, adding a splash of water if the sauce catches before it is tender.
8. 8Taste before adding salt because preserved lemon can be punchy. Ladle into bowls and add the optional chopped parsley and cooked couscous if using.

Per serving

kcal

582

protein

29.9g

fibre

8.7g

carbs

26.9g

fat

39g