Moroccan Lamb Tagine

• 800g stewing lamb (shoulder or neck), diced into 3cm chunks 
  OR veggie version - 1 large aubergine and a punnet of button mushrooms
• Olive or rapeseed oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp coriander
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 can chopped tomatoes (400g)
• 1 can of chickpeas, drained (400g)
• 500ml stock (lamb, vegetable or chicken)
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 75 g dried apricots, chopped
• Handful of flaked almonds
• 1 bunch of fresh coriander
• 1 x packet of couscous

Heat some oil in a heavy casserole and brown the lamb for a few minutes. Put it to one side.

Fry the onion in a little more oil until soft, then add all the spices and cook through, stirring, for another minute or so. Add the tomatoes and let it bubble it up a bit. Add the stock, bring to the boil, and then return the lamb to the
casserole.

Season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally to stop it sticking.

Add the chickpeas, apricot and almonds and continue to simmer covered, gently for another 30 mins until the meat is tender. If it’s looking at all dry, add a little more water or stock to give a rich sauce.

Sprinkle with chopped coriander before serving on a bed of warm couscous (follow the pack instructions to cook).

Serve with: a zingy green rocket and watercress salad, along with a bowl of chopped cucumber and fresh mint mixed with natural yoghurt.

Variation: To make a delicious vegetarian version, substitute the lamb with 1 large aubergine, diced and fried until brown, and a punnet of button mushrooms, wiped and fried over for a couple of minutes. Reduce the simmering time to 30 minutes.