Moroccan Lamb Tagine Ragu

Updated at: Thu, 17 Aug 2023 02:27:29 GMT

Step 1

Pat the lamb shoulder dry and rub all over with salt, pepper, and half of each spice.

Step 2

Add half the oil to a large cast iron pan over a high heat. Once almost smoking, sear the lamb on all sides until well browned, then set aside.

Step 3

Roughly chop the onions and garlic. Add the remaining oil to the pan, lower the heat to medium and saute the onions until soft, then add the garlic and cook for a couple minutes more.

Step 4

Add the chopped tomatoes, red wine, remainder of the spices, tomato puree, harissa/paprika paste and lamb stock cube. Add the lamb back to the pot and add enough boiling water that the lamb is fully covered by the sauce.

Step 5

Finely chop the apricots, ￲preserved lemons, mint, fresh coriander and parsley. Add half of each of these ingredients to the lamb, then cover, reduce the heat to low and slow cook for 3-6 hours (the longer the better).

Step 6

In a pestle and mortar, grind the saffron into a fine powder (turmeric makes a decent substitute if, like a normal person, you don't have saffron).

Step 7

Weigh the flour into a bowl and add the saffron/turmeric and a pinch of salt. Mix well and pour onto a clean surface.

Step 8

In the bowl, weigh the eggs. If you have an imperfect amount, you can add a little more flour, or subtract some egg white - just keep the ratio consistent.

Step 9

Whisk the eggs to mix. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour the eggs in, then using a fork, your hands or a bread scraper, bring the flour into the eggs and gently combine.

Step 10

Once the flour is mixed in, begin to form and knead the dough. It will be very firm, don't be afraid to use those muscles and work it to activate all the good gluten. Knead until the dough is smooth and springy (roughly a 5 minute workout). Wrap the dough in cling film and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

Step 11

Once the dough is rested, it is time to shape it. If you have a pasta machine like a bougie ass bitch, roll the pasta down to the thinnest setting available, lightly flouring both sides. I'd recommend doing it in a few batches, simply slice as and when necessary. If you have a ribboning attachment, put the think dough ribbon through the wide ribbon roller. Hang up or lay out ready for cooking.

Step 12

If you don't have a pasta machine, you're in for another workout. Using a rolling pin, or if you don't even have one of those, an empty wine bottle, roll the dough roughly into a long 10-20cm wide ribbon, lightly flouring on both sides. Get the dough as thin as you can, 1mm if possible. It might be a good idea to do this in a couple batches. Once the dough is thin, use a sharp knife to cut 1cm wide tagliatelle pieces lengthways on the ribbon. Hang up or lay out ready for cooking.

Step 13

The lamb should now be tender and falling off the bone, and the sauce should be thick and rich. Remove the bones from the stew, scraping off any meat left on them, and pull/mash any lumps of meat into the sauce. If the sauce is still thin, continue to simmer with the lid off.

Step 14

Bring a pot of well salted water to a boil. Add in the tagliatelle, giving it a stir to stop it sticking together, and cook for 4-5 minutes until al dente. This may be good to do in a couple batches to stop it clumping.

Step 15

Stir the majority of the remaining apricots, lemons, mint, coriander and parsley into the ragu, leaving a little for garnish. Stir in the honey, along with most of the pomegranate seeds and pistachios.

Step 16

To serve, add a portion of the tagliatelle to a bowl, top with a generous spoonful of ragu and sprinkle with the remaining apricots, lemons, fresh herbs, pomegranate and pistachios.

0 liked

0 disliked