Chicken Tagine

 

Ingredients

• 4 lamb shanks , French trimmed 
• olive oil 
• 1 fresh red chilli 
• 1 clove of garlic 
• 1 red onion 
• 1 quince 
• 2 carrots 
• 1 bulb of fennel 
• 2 fresh bay leaves 
• 1 pinch of saffron 
• 2 ripe tomatoes , on the vine 
• 1 preserved lemon 
• 1 litre quality organic chicken stock 
• 200 g couscous 
• 1 bunch of fresh mint , (30g) 
• 1 handful of black olives , (stone in) 
• ½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley , (15g) 
• ½ a lemon 
• ½ an orange 
• extra virgin olive oil 
• 50 g rose harissa 
• 4 heaped tablespoons fat-free natural yoghurt 
• RAS EL-HANOUT 
• 2 cardamon pods 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 
• 1 heaped teaspoon coriander seeds 
• ½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika 
• 1 tiny pinch of cumin seeds 
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric 
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger

• Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
  2. To make the ras el hanout, lightly bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar, then shake out the seeds, discarding the pods. Bash and muddle in the remaining ingredients to form a powder.
  3. Massage into the lamb shanks, then place in a large ovenproof pan on a medium-high heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned all over, turning regularly.
  4. Prick the chilli and add alongside the lamb until slightly scalded all over, then remove both lamb and chilli to a plate.
  5. Peel and finely slice the garlic. Peel the onion and quince, cutting each into 8 wedges. Peel the carrots and chop at an angle into 4cm chunks. Trim and quarter the fennel bulb.
  6. Wipe out the pan with a ball of kitchen paper, then place on a medium heat with ½ a tablespoon of olive oil, the pricked chilli, bay leaves, garlic, quince and veg. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
  7. In a cup, just cover the saffron with boiling water.
  8. Return the lamb shanks to the pan, then quarter and add the tomatoes along with the saffron mixture, whole preserved lemon and stock. Bring to the boil. Cover the surface with a scrunched-up circular sheet of wet greaseproof paper, then pop a lid on.
  9. Cook in the oven for 2 hours to 2 hours 30 minutes, or until the shanks are soft and delicious and the sauce has reduced. 
  10. Use a spoon to skim away any excess fat from the surface, then carefully remove the shanks to a plate.
  11. Place the pan on a medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and reduced, stirring occasionally.
  12. Place the couscous and half the mint sprigs in a bowl, just cover with boiling water, pop a plate on top and leave to soak and infuse.
  13. To make a salad, destone the olives and roughly tear into a bowl. Pick in the parsley and remaining mint leaves, squeeze over the lemon and orange juice, add a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper, then toss together.
  14. Swirl the harissa through the yoghurt. Return the lamb shanks to the sauce.
  15. Fluff up the couscous, discarding the mint, then divide between your plates. Spoon over the tagine, sprinkle over the salad, and finish with a dollop of harissa yoghurt.
  Courtsey of Orlando Bloom’s lamb tagine with Jaime Oliver. 
  
  
•