Hi Foodies!
Now when it comes to some dishes, sometimes ‘slow’ really is best and that is really what is going to happen when you try this dish. In other words, start this early before the hunger games begin! This is a juicy dish with a twist and can be enjoyed just as easily with rice or even potatoes but I think in keeping with the Moroccan theme – join me on the couscous route. It can actually be a whole lot more appetising than you might think – brief shout out to my numerous Lebanese, Syrian and American crew who taught me the delights of mince beef in couscous (Hi Omar! Hi Aunt Leslie!).
Dates form part of the essential ingredients in this dish – that is both a fact AND a pick up line. First of all, the foodie in you is experimental right? If not, think of it this way – you probably did not know you had dates somewhere in there the last time you tucked into some sticky toffee pudding.
The items you will need in full for this dish consist of:
- Couscous
- 5 sundried tomatoes
- 6 lamb shoulders
- 2 pinches of saffron
- 4 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil
- 3-4 glugs of honey
- 6 chopped dates
- 5 crushed cardamoms
- 1 tsp of paprika
- 1tsp of fennel
- 1 tbsp of coriander powder
- 1 tbsp of allspice
- 1 tbsp of cumin
- 1 tbsp of ginger
- 1 tbsp of cinnamon
- 1 tbsp of parsley
- 1 tin of fresh tomatoes
- 2 crushed cloves
- Juice and zest of 1 lime
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- Handful of halved apricots
- 6 halved and deseeded baby pears (or regular pears)
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 stock cube
Shall we begin?
- Set a pan on medium heat. Season your lamb with the salt and black pepper. Pop them in them in the pan and then fry for about 1 minute per side. Set the lamb aside on a plate
- Pre-heat your oven to 180 Celsius. You will need it soon
- Grab a big pot and add a good glug of olive oil. Toss in your cardamoms and put this back on the cooker on medium heat.
- Add your tomatoes, fennel, ginger and garlic to the pan along with 2 good glugs of honey and ¾ of your citrus zest. Leave this to cook for 5 minutes
- Pop your lamb back into the pot along with your coriander, cumin, allspice, parsley, paprika, cloves, cinnamon and a bit more olive oil. Add some more salt and black pepper if you feel it needs it.
- Throw in your chopped dates with your citrus juices, apricots, baby pears and another 2 glugs of honey in the pot and cook for another 2 minutes.
If you are trying to get those last bits of honey in the jar out, here is what to do. Add about 2tsp of water to the honey jar with 2tsp of olive oil, cover and shake a few seconds like a cocktail barman. Voila!
- Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Leave this to cook for another 1.5 – 2 hours.
- When your lamb is almost done, bring a pot of water to boil with the remainder of your citrus zest along with your chopped sundried tomatoes and 1 tbsp of lemon juice. You want the zest to take a more translucent colour as it releases its oils.
- Add your stock cube to the boiling water to melt. Tip this into a bowl containing your couscous. Once the liquid has been fully absorbed, you are ready to serve!
This dish is so succulent and you get to see the fruit of your long wait (no pun intended) as you tuck into the lamb and find it literally falling off the bone. Cooked pears and apricots are always awesome.The spices; the citrus; the dates; the honey – all play their parts in creating that sweet, kick & zing! And you know I am up for all that anytime! You’ve got goodness on a plate that you just might not want to share with your date…Or your date falls fully in love. Whichever the reaction….my work here is done.