Cook: 2 - 3 hours

Serves: 8

This spicy, Tunisian-inspired dish cooks lamb to tender softness in a sticky sweet sauce packed with dried apricots, Medjool dates and raisins. Make this in a very large non-stick pan with a lid and take care when adding your harissa as they can vary in strength from brand to brand.

Method:

Put the onions in a very large, lidded pan or casserole pan with a the sunflower oil and fry until golden brown over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes, taking care not to let the garlic burn.
Add the lamb and sear on all sides, then add the tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir well.
Add the spices and season well with salt and pepper, then add the herbs and stir again.
Cover all the ingredients with water (about 2.5 litres) and bring to a boil.
Cook over a medium high heat and simmer for about 2 to 2 ½ hours until the lamb is tender.
Add the courgettes, beans and fruit and cook for an additional 30 minutes then stir in the harissa. NOTE: I’ve suggested 2 tbsp, but add it gradually and taste to see what’s right for you, as they can differ in strength.
Finally adjust the seasoning if necessary - you may need to add more spices,
Before serving scatter with the flaked almonds.

Contact Fabienne here

To get more recipes, click here to sign up for our free JC food newsletter.

Topics:

Support the world’s oldest Jewish newspaper

Ingredients

Name: Rosh Hashanah tagine-style lamb with dried fruits
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 2 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 2 tbsp sunflower oil 2 large red onions, sliced 8 cloves of garlic Salt and pepper 1 tbsp each of sweet paprika; turmeric; salt and pepper 2 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice mix 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 1 tube tomato puree 3 large courgettes, cubed Approximately 2kg of lamb shoulder on the bone cut into medium pieces (or a mix of meat on and off the bone) 30g each of coriander; basil and flat leaf parsley, chopped 500g white cannellini beans 8 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered 8 dried apricots, quartered 100g raisins 2 tbsp harissa or to taste 100g flaked, toasted almonds

2 tbsp sunflower oil

2 large red onions, sliced

8 cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper

1 tbsp each of sweet paprika; turmeric; salt and pepper

2 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice mix

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tube tomato puree

3 large courgettes, cubed

Approximately 2kg of lamb shoulder on the bone cut into medium pieces (or a mix of meat on and off the bone)

30g each of coriander; basil and flat leaf parsley, chopped

500g white cannellini beans

8 Medjool dates, pitted and quartered

8 dried apricots, quartered

100g raisins

2 tbsp harissa or to taste

100g flaked, toasted almonds