​​Am I obsessed with our little bleating friends? I certainly seem to have enough recipes for cooking the woolly little critters – it’s their own fault for tasting so good. Anyway, off to Morocco with this one, a very simple yet effective lamb tagine. For those of you that don’t know, a tagine is a type of conical cooking vessel which creates a very intense flavour. You don’t need one to make this, just use a casserole dish with a heavy lid.
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Method

Gently cook the onions off in the olive oil for about 10 minutes, until softened.  Add the spices and mix together well, gently frying for another minute or so. 

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Now turn the heat up a bit and add the lamb, turning it often to brown it.  When browned, add the dates, water and the pomegranate juice and bring to the boil.  Cover with the lid and turn the heat down as low as it will go.  Cook for a further two hours or until the lamb falls apart when gently squashed with the back of a spoon.

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Serve with couscous, potatoes or a good hunk of bread.  Garnish with parsley if you feel strongly about such things.

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You can cook this in the oven rather than on the hob, just keep the heat down to about 150C.  Whichever way you cook it, keep an eye on the liquid levels and if it gets too unctuous, add a touch more water.

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