About This Dish

A tagine is both the name of the conical clay cooking vessel used across North Africa and the slow-cooked stew prepared inside it. Moroccan tagines are renowned for their perfumed spice blends and the interplay of savory and sweet — a culinary tradition with roots in Moorish cooking that stretches back centuries.

This lamb tagine with dried apricots and toasted almonds is a classic combination: the richness of slow-cooked lamb is tempered by the tartness of apricots, lifted by a warm spice blend of cumin, coriander, cinnamon, and ginger. You don't need an actual tagine vessel — a heavy Dutch oven works beautifully.

Ingredients (Serves 4–6)

For the Lamb

  • 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs) bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 large onions, finely sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 400g (14 oz) canned whole tomatoes
  • 1 cup chicken or lamb stock
  • 150g (5 oz) dried apricots, halved
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Spice Blend (Ras el Hanout Base)

  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne (optional)

To Finish

  • ½ cup toasted blanched almonds
  • Large handful fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
  • Couscous or flatbread, to serve

Instructions

  1. Toast and bloom the spices. Combine all spice blend ingredients in a small bowl. Heat your Dutch oven over medium heat and add the spices dry for 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add olive oil, then the sliced onions. Cook, stirring, for 10–12 minutes until soft and golden.
  2. Sear the lamb. Push onions to the side and increase heat to medium-high. Season lamb pieces with salt and pepper. Sear in batches until well browned on all sides. Return all lamb to the pot.
  3. Add garlic and ginger. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger. Cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
  4. Add the liquids. Pour in the canned tomatoes (crush them with your hands as you add them) and stock. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
  5. Slow cook. Bring to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1 hour 30 minutes.
  6. Add apricots and honey. Remove from oven. Stir in the dried apricots and honey. Return to the oven, uncovered, for another 30 minutes until the lamb is completely tender and the sauce has reduced slightly.
  7. Finish and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into bowls over fluffy couscous. Top generously with toasted almonds and fresh cilantro.

Tips for Success

  • Use bone-in lamb. The bones contribute significantly to the sauce's richness and body.
  • Don't rush the onions. Properly caramelized onions are the flavor foundation of this dish. Take the full 10–12 minutes.
  • Make it ahead. Like all tagines, this is substantially better the day after cooking. Reheat gently over low heat with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
  • Couscous preparation: Pour boiling water or stock over couscous in a 1:1 ratio. Cover for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork and stir in a knob of butter and pinch of salt.

Variations

  • Substitute lamb with bone-in chicken thighs and reduce cooking time to 45–50 minutes total.
  • Add a preserved lemon (rind only, finely chopped) at the same stage as the apricots for a bright, briny note.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace lamb with chickpeas and root vegetables like parsnip and carrot.