Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Carrots & Potatoes

Moroccan lamb tagine served with fluffy couscous.

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Carrots & Potatoes

A deeply aromatic Moroccan lamb tagine with tender bone-in lamb shoulder, carrots and potatoes slowly cooked in a warmly spiced, lightly sweet broth. Marinating the lamb overnight with garlic, fresh herbs, saffron and spices creates wonderful depth of flavour.

5 from 2 votes

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Moroccan

Keyword: Lamb Tagine, Moroccan Lamb, Slow cooked lamb

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 2 30

Marinating time: 1

Servings: people

Calories: 463kcal

Equipment

Large zip-lock bag for marinating the lamb overnight.
large bowl to support the zip-lock bag while adding the marinade and lamb.
Tagine or large Dutch oven use a stovetop-safe traditional tagine or a heavy-based Dutch oven with a well-fitting lid.

Ingredients

Lamb & Marinade

1.5 kg lamb shoulder cut into large pieces, preferably bone-in (boneless also works)
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 medium brown onion finely grated
4 garlic cloves finely grated or crushed
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
¼ cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp fine sea salt
Generous pinch saffron threads
2 tbsp warm water

Tagine

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 large brown onions thinly sliced
1 cinnamon stick
500 ml lamb or chicken stock plus a little extra if required
4 medium carrots peeled and cut into large pieces
700 g waxy potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
1 tsp honey plus more to taste if needed
Salt to taste
Fresh coriander to serve

Instructions

The Night Before

Place the saffron in a small bowl with the warm water and leave for 5–10 minutes to infuse.
Open a large zip-lock bag and stand it upright inside a bowl to support it. Add the olive oil, grated onion, garlic, coriander, parsley, ginger, cumin, ground coriander, turmeric, ground cinnamon, black pepper and salt. Pour in the saffron and its soaking water and mix everything together inside the bag.
Add the lamb to the bag. Seal securely, then massage the bag with your hands until the lamb is thoroughly and evenly coated in the marinade.
Refrigerate overnight, ideally for 12–24 hours.

Cook the Tagine

Remove the lamb from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before cooking.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a tagine or large heavy-based Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove the lamb from the bag and brown in batches until well coloured on several sides. Transfer each batch to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the sliced onions and cinnamon stick and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions are softened.
Pour in the stock and stir well, scraping the bottom of the tagine to release the browned bits.
Return the lamb and any accumulated juices to the tagine, nestling the pieces into the onions and broth.
Bring just to a gentle simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook very gently for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Add the carrots and potatoes together, nestling them amongst the lamb and into the broth. Add a little additional stock if necessary.
Cover and continue cooking very gently for 40–50 minutes, or until the lamb is very tender and the carrots and potatoes are completely tender but still holding their shape.
Stir 1 teaspoon honey into the broth. Taste before adding any more. The finished tagine should have only a subtle background sweetness.
Taste and adjust the salt and black pepper as required.
The broth should remain loose and spoonable. If excessively watery, simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes. If it has reduced too far, add a splash of stock or water.
Remove the cinnamon stick. Scatter with fresh coriander and serve hot with couscous.

Notes

Lamb: Bone-in lamb shoulder is preferred, but boneless lamb shoulder cut into large pieces works well too.

Marinating: For the intended depth of flavour, marinate the lamb overnight rather than treating this as an optional step.

Cooking vessel: Use a traditional tagine suitable for your heat source or a large heavy-based Dutch oven or casserole with a well-fitting lid.

Honey: Begin with only 1 teaspoon. The finished broth should have a subtle sweetness rather than tasting sweet.

Stock: Lamb stock gives the deepest flavour, although good-quality chicken stock works well.

Potatoes: Choose waxy or all-purpose potatoes that will become tender while retaining their shape.

Nutrition