Roast lamb with root vegetable tagine
Lamb
Roast lamb with root vegetable tagine
This pomegranate and apricot enriched root veg stew makes a great partner for lamb in virtually any form, from roast to kofta or merguez meatballs. It's hearty and warming and just the thing for a cold winter evening. It's great served with couscous and tzatziki on the side.
Ingredients
- 1.35kg lamb joint, seasoned well
- 2 onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 sticks celery
- 4 carrots
- 75ml olive oil
- 800g roots (a mix of any/all of swede, turnip, celeriac, squash, parsnip)
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 125g unsulphured organic apricots (worth it for the extra depth of flavour)
- 2x400g tins chopped tomatoes
- 1 generous tbsp harissa (with mint, coriander, cumin, caraway and chilli)
- 750ml chicken stock
- 2x400g tins cooked chickpeas
- 1 pomegranate
- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
Method
-
Step 1
Set the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3½ and cook the lamb for about 90 minutes.
-
Step 2
Roughly chop the onions, garlic, celery and halve the carrots and blitz in a food processor. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy casserole dish, add the blitzed veg and gently sauté for 10 minutes.
-
Step 3
Peel and dice (1½-2cm) the remaining veg and add to the pan. Add the ginger and turmeric, stir and sauté for another 5 minutes. Cut the apricots into slivers and add to the casserole with the tomatoes, harissa and stock. Put the lid on and cook gently until the vegetables are nearly cooked.
-
Step 4
Drain the chickpeas and add to the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes.
-
Step 5
Deseed the pomegranate by cutting it in half, flattening the skin and tapping the outside with a wooden spoon over a bowl. Add the seeds to the stew, keeping a few back for garnish.
-
Step 6
Add the chopped coriander and serve with slices of lamb, yoghurt or tzatziki.
