Tagine ’L’ghanmi Be’matisha Baasla

Lamb Tagine with Sweet Tomato Jam

Tomato jam is served as an appetizer, like a dip, but the same ingredients combine with lamb to give a beautifully flavoured tagine, redolent of cinnamon and honey. It is preferable to use fresh tomatoes rather than tinned.

SERVES 4–6

1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) ripe tomatoes

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) lamb shoulder or leg steaks

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 brown onions, coarsely grated

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cinnamon stick

⅛ teaspoon ground saffron threads

3 tablespoons tomato paste (concentrated purée)

2 tablespoons honey

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

30 g (1 oz) butter

40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) blanched almonds

Halve the tomatoes crossways. Squeeze out the seeds. Coarsely grate the tomatoes into a bowl down to the skin, discarding the skin. Set aside.

Trim the lamb steaks and cut into 3 cm (1¼ in) pieces. Heat half the olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan over high heat and brown the lamb on each side, in batches. Set aside on a plate.

Reduce the heat to low and add the remaining oil and the onion. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until softened. Stir in the garlic, ginger, black pepper and cinnamon stick and cook for 1 minute. Add the saffron and tomato paste and cook for a further 1 minute.

Return the lamb to the pan, along with the grated tomato, stir and season with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer gently for 1¼ hours. After this time, set the lid slightly ajar so that the pan is partially covered and continue to simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 25 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened. When it is very thick, almost jam-like in consistency with the oil beginning to separate, stir in the honey and the ground cinnamon and simmer for 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small frying pan, add the almonds and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the almonds are golden. Tip immediately onto a plate to prevent them from burning.

Transfer the lamb to a serving dish, discarding the cinnamon stick. Sprinkle with the almonds. Serve with crusty bread or couscous.