WHAT’S COOKING: Lamb shank tagine with dates, apricots, raisins and Moroccan spices

The dried fruit of the Cape meets the spices of Morocco in this recipe for lamb shanks cooked slowly in a tagine. I chose three kinds of dried fruit: royal apricots, stoned medjool dates and pitted raisins.

But first, a note on tagines, in the wake of a query I had from a reader whose tagine cracked after using it on a stove top. A ceramic tagine is intended to be put on a flame, but it must be placed on the hob cold, and then put on a very low heat.

When we lived in Chichester we had an electric hob, and I used to put the blue ceramic pot on it, cold, with the food in it, and then turn the heat on to its lowest. You need to allow time for the pot to heat to a simmering point very slowly, after which it will bubble away for hours until the food is ready. A heat diffuser can be put to work if you like.

My present tagine is a Le Creuset one with a cast iron base and ceramic conical lid, so there’s no problem with it going on any heat.

Choose your shanks by their size relative to the capacity of your tagine and the number of people you’re cooking for.

As for the spice mix, to the four core ingredients of a Moroccan spice mix (ginger, turmeric, black pepper and paprika) I added a cinnamon stick, cumin and garlic powder. Depending on the region or the cook’s preferences, cinnamon and cumin are often used in Moroccan spice mixes. And I happen to like the way that a cinnamon stick doubles up as a garnish when the tagine is presented at the table.

For a cooking stock I used lamb stock and passata, the Italian strained tomatoes I’m finding useful all over the place at the moment (if there’s an open bottle of it in the fridge, it needs to be used).

There’s no onion in this dish – the spices are sweet enough.

Lamb shank tagine with dates, apricots, raisins and Moroccan spices

(Serves 3-4)

Ingredients

3 or 4 lamb shanks

1 cinnamon stick

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground garlic

1 tsp paprika

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp black pepper

Salt, to your taste

300ml passata (Italian strained tomatoes)

200ml lamb stock (or use chicken stock)

16 dried royal apricots (yes, Turkish are fine too)

16 pitted medjool dates

16 raisins (no stones)

Coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish

Couscous, prepared to the packet instructions, for serving

Toasted almonds, optional

1 heaped Tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 Tbsp water

Method

Add the spices, including the cinnamon stick, to the dry tagine and put it on a low heat. Leave it until a whiff of pale smoke drifts off the spices, then immediately add the lamb stock and passata, and stir.

Add the shanks, dousing them in the spiced liquid, then all the dried fruit. Season with salt and give it a stir.

Let it rise to a simmer, which will take some time, with the conical lid on the tagine.

Continue cooking slowly until the shanks are tender, which should take between two and three hours.

If the sauce has not thickened to your liking, stir some cornflour into cold water and stir it into the sauce. Let it thicken for a few minutes while stirring slowly.

Prepare the couscous according to the packet instructions.

If using almonds, toast them in a dry pan.

Serve the shanks and their attendant fruit on the couscous, garnished with fresh coriander and the toasted almonds, if using. DM

To buy a copy of Tony Jackman’s Retro Karoo Food (Penguin Random House) signed by the author in gold, send an email to him at tony@dailymaverick.co.za. Or buy it through the Daily Maverick shop.

Tony Jackman is twice winner of the Galliova Food Writer of the Year award.