This Moroccan lamb tagine is a slow-cooked, savory-sweet stew with fennel, red onion, garlic, warm spices, and dates. It is the kind of recipe to make when dinner can simmer gently in the background and become more tender with time.
If you do not have a tagine, use a heavy Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and keep the heat low and gentle.
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Fennel and Dates
Ingredients
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces and patted dry
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- Salt to taste
- 1 cup pitted dates chopped
- 2 cups water divided, plus more if needed
- Fresh cilantro for serving
Instructions
- Trim the fennel stalks. Cut the bulb in half, remove any tough core, and slice the fennel thinly.
- Warm 1 tablespoon olive oil in the base of a tagine or a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, and garlic and cook until the vegetables are just beginning to brown. Transfer them to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Brown the lamb in batches so the pieces have room to sear. Move each browned batch to a plate, then return all of the lamb to the pot.
- Stir together the ginger, cumin, coriander, cayenne, and salt. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the lamb and cook for about 1 minute, stirring so the meat is coated.
- Add the cooked vegetables, chopped dates, and 1 cup water. Stir, cover, and cook gently over medium-low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Add the remaining water a little at a time as needed while the tagine cooks. The sauce should stay moist and thick, not dry.
- Taste and adjust salt. Serve warm with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Source note: This recipe is adapted from a Le Creuset recipe shared by A Girl Worth Saving.
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