Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine

By Foodguy on July 30th, 2008

Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine Tajines are slow-cooked stews cooked at low temperatures with highly aromatic spices that produce extremely tender meat. The tagine originates from the Northern African cuisine of Morocco. Its name comes from the specially designed clay pots its cooked in.

Looking at recipes cooked in a tagine always seemed like too much work until last night. I went ahead and crafted a recipe from several others found on the internet and it turned out amazing! The lamb was literally falling apart it was so tender. The smells of cinnamon, ginger, cumin fresh cilantro and mint overwhelmed my apartment. I highly recommend you give this one a shot. It would also be the perfect dish to cook for your friends. This recipe made enough food for 6-8 people.

Before you use a clay tagine for the first time, you must season it. This is accomplished by submerging the tagine in water over night for about 12-24 hours. (I used my sink) Then remove it from the water and let it air dry. Smear the inside of the base and top with olive oil each time before you use it and you should be all set. I opted to brown the lamb first in a non-stick frying pan, over high-heat. I did this because you’re not supposed to heat the tagine with anything more than a low-medium heat source.

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Watch and Learn!

Serves 6-8
Lamb and Butternut Squash Tagine

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. leg of lamb, cut into 1-2 inch chunks
1 large onion, chopped roughly
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
10-15 saffron threads
15 oz. can chickpeas, drained
14 oz. can whole tomatoes
15 oz. vegetable broth
10 oz. box couscous
2 cups water
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
20 oz. fresh butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

step1 In a non-stick frying pan, brown the lamb over high-heat, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

step2 After you coated the inside of your tagine with olive oil, place it over the burner on low-medium heat, add the onions and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

step3 Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and saffron, stir the mixture for about 1 minute.

step4 Add the browned meat, chickpeas, tomatoes and vegetable broth, cover the tagine and simmer for 1 hour.

step5 After 1 hour, remove the top of the tagine, add the squash and half the chopped cilantro and mint. Cover with lid and cook 15 minutes.

step6 In the meantime, in a mixing bowl, add the couscous, sunflower seeds and the rest of chopped herbs (save 2 tablespoons for garnish) and cover with 2 cups water. Let this sit for 10 minutes while the couscous absorbs the water.

step7 After 15 minutes, remove the top and season tagine generously with salt and pepper. Add the couscous mixture to the tagine and evenly spread it over the top. Cover and cook for an additional 15 minutes.