Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine

This cold snap feels like it will never end. One good part about the cold weather is I definitely do more cooking!

One of my husband’s favorite recipes I make is one for Slow Cooker Chicken and Chickpea Tagine. I wanted to try a tagine with a different meat, so when I found this recipe for Slow Cooker Lamb Tagine on the cooking section of the New York Times, I used it as a base to make a slow cooker version.

Tagine or Tajine dishes are Moroccan slow cooked dishes named after the pot they are cooked in. The dishes are typically a stew with a protein, spices, and fruit. And, well, they are fantastic; they make for a perfect comfort food meal!

I braved the cold so I could pick up the ingredients for this yummy dish. I’m lucky enough to live close to Reading Terminal Market, and La Divisa Meats in the Terminal cubed some lamb leg meat for me for this recipe. If you do not have a local butcher, lamb stew meat works too.

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds cubed boneless lamb leg meat
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• large pinch saffron
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 3/4 cups beef broth
• 1 cup dried apricots
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (or margarine to make dairy free, or ghee to make paleo)
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• 2 scallions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• fresh lemon juice, to taste

Bring your lamb to room temperature by adding to a bowl on your countertop for an hour. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the cinnamon sticks, saffron, salt, ground ginger, coriander, black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg to a small bowl.

Add a large saute pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil, swirling to coat. Add about half of your lamb to the pot, without overcrowding the pan. Let cook over medium heat until browned, about 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from the pan and add to your slow cooker. Repeat with your remaining lamb.

Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the tomato paste, fresh ginger, and the spices to the onion mixture, stirring to combine. Cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Add in the beef broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour over the lamb in your slow cooker.

Add in the dried apricots, stirring to combine.

Cover and cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 8 hours.

When almost finished cooking, heat the butter in a small saute pan. Add the almonds and season with salt. Cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

To serve, spoon lamb and juices on to a serving platter. Top with the toasted almonds, cilantro, scallions and parsley. Squeeze fresh lemon juice over top.

Serve with couscous, if desired. It would also go great with quinoa or polenta for a gluten-free meal.

The lamb is so tender it just breaks apart.

You get some sweetness from the apricots, and a nice crunch from the toasted almonds, along with all those yummy warming spices.

The fresh herbs and lemon juice brighten it up a bit, making for a well-rounded, flavorful dish!