Lamb and Pear Tagine

I have heard people claim they love chickpeas and couscous but in all honesty I thought they must be lying. But in the same way that I never quite got reggae until I went to Jamaica, I think I get it now. In the spiced gravy of a tagine they have found there place for me. Why try a recipe if you don't enjoy 2 of the main ingredients you might wonder. Whilst browsing this cookbook I realised I had everything but the lamb and pears so how could I not cook it. ( Ha ha yes I did have chickpeas and couscous)

- oil
- 100g plain flour
- 700g-750g diced lamb
- 1 large onion, cut into chunks
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and squashed
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp garam masala
- a few juniper berries
- 1 tin x 400g tomatoes
- 450ml good lamb beef or chicken stock
- 3 pears, peeled, deseeded and quartered
- 1 400g tin chickpeas
- roughly chopped coriander

Place the flour on a plate, season with salt and pepper then toss the lamb in it to coat. Meanwhile heat the oil in a large pan and once it is nice and hot add the lamb. Cook for 3 minutes stirring frequently. Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, garam masala and juniper berries. Season (be generous with the pepper) and cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring to ensure it doesn't burn.
Add the tin of tomatoes and the stock, bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for about an hour. Add the pears and chickpeas and cook for a further 15 minutes.
Serve sprinkled with the coriander. You could toast a few pine nuts and throw them on too if you fancied.

I served this with couscous. Make sure its the quick type and not raw couscous. I found a bell pepper in the larder and a mild red chilli. I popped them in the oven for half an hour then chopped the bell pepper finely and added to the couscous. I added the same about of hot chicken stock as couscous, covered the bowl and left for a few minutes, then serve.

He who genuinely tried to fake illness when he saw the couscous and chickpeas on the kitchen worktop, gave it a 4/5 and ate every scrap.

I did raise an eyebrow at putting pear in. I would use it again as it did add to the flavour even though I didn't eat all the pear. Garam masala? not exactly North African but still. If your thinking of taking time out from reading 'Which' magazine to cook this and be transported back to your travels in Morocco, I can not honestly say how authentic it will taste as I have eaten one tagine ever and that was ten years ago and in exotic Cardiff. Nonetheless it met the brief and was a lovely evening meal.

I used lamb neck as it is less expensive and perfect for this type of cooking.
I stopped the cooking just before the pear and chickpeas go in and started again 20 minutes before we were ready to eat which worked well.

Time taken     1 hour 40 mins
Effort     2.5/5
End result     4/5

This recipe is from 'Home cooking made easy' by Lorraine Pascal