Lamb shank tagine with apricots & toasted almonds

The sweet and spicy notes of what we think of as “Moroccan” come from mixing together certain spices that may seem ordinary – cumin, cinnamon, cardamom and black pepper – and those four were dominant in this mix. But it’s when they work together, in the tagine with meat and dried fruit, that magic happens and the resulting flavour is clearly and identifiably “Moroccan”.

Ginger and turmeric are common to a Moroccan spice mix too, as are hot spices such as paprika and cayenne, and a softly sweet one like saffron, but even without any of those, this was redolent of the flavours you expect to find in a tagine. 

It makes you think that the black pepper plays a key role in the mix, even though in almost every dish it is in, it is a background note rather than a foreground one. “There” without being obvious. It provides a bitter edge to the sweetness of the cardamom and cinnamon, with the cumin somehow singing along in the choir, happy to be in the back row but discernibly present in the harmony.

There was garlic, of course, and plenty of it. I don’t think I can conceive of not adding garlic to something cooked in a tagine. Being winter and with my orange tree in fine form, I added the grated zest of an orange for that little hint of zest that it brings to a thousand dishes.

And there were the apricots. Little Turkish ones. I love dried fruit in a tagine, whether with lamb or chicken (they go just as comfortably with either of them), although the little tomatoes were a less obvious ingredient here. They were super-ripe, tiny, and I sprinkled a few of them around, on a whim. They fitted in perfectly well, like that guest that you throw into a dinner party mix, who you’ve never invited before, and it turns out really well, thank goodness.

The crowning glory, often, of a Moroccan dish is to finish it off with toasted nuts, so plain old almonds, not even shelled, just toasted in a dry pan, were strewn over on the plate as a little flourish.

(Serves 2 with plenty of leftovers, or 4 sharing two shanks)

Tony’s lamb shank tagine with apricots & toasted almonds

Ingredients

A little olive oil, or a cheaper oil if preferred

2 huge lamb shanks, or 4 smaller ones

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 cinnamon stick

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

8 green cardamom pods

1 tsp black pepper

About 16 small dried Turkish apricots

12 or so baby tomatoes

1 litre of lamb or chicken stock

Zest of 1 orange

Salt to taste

Toasted almonds, about 8 per serving

Fresh mint for garnishing

Method

Preheat the oven to 200℃.

In an iron tagine or Dutch oven, braise the shanks all over in hot oil.

Add the cumin seeds and the cinnamon stick at the base, around the shanks. Add the cardamom pods and black pepper and sprinkle the chopped garlic around.

Scatter the dried apricots and baby tomatoes and the grated zest of an orange. Season with salt.

Pour the stock around.

Put the lid on, bring to a boil, and put into the oven on a low rack.

After 10 minutes, turn the oven temperature down to 170℃ and cook gently for three hours.

Toast the almonds in a dry pan, tossing, until they colour and turn crunchy, but don’t let them blacken.

Serve with couscous or rice, garnished with fresh mint, and toasted almonds scattered over. DM

Tony Jackman is Galliova Food Writer 2023, jointly with TGIFood columnist Anna Trapido. Order his book, foodSTUFF, here

Follow Tony Jackman on Instagram @tony_jackman_cooks.

This dish is photographed on a plate by Mervyn Gers Ceramics.