{"id":26288,"date":"2024-11-06T13:57:35","date_gmt":"2024-11-06T12:57:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gateauetcuisinerachida.com\/?p=26288"},"modified":"2025-07-12T13:21:32","modified_gmt":"2025-07-12T11:21:32","slug":"lamb-tagine-with-prunes-and-dried-apricots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gateauetcuisinerachida.com\/en\/lamb-tagine-with-prunes-and-dried-apricots\/","title":{"rendered":"Lamb tagine with prunes and dried apricots"},"content":{"rendered":"

 Lamb tagine<\/strong> with prunes and dried apricots is one of the best-known dishes in Moroccan cuisine, along with pastilla <\/strong><\/a>sweet and sour or seafood pastilla<\/strong>. It is as popular as couscous or Moroccan Moroccan roast chicken<\/strong><\/a>. It’s an exceptional, festive dish. It’s a popular choice for both small and large occasions.<\/p>\n

\"Moroccan<\/p>\n

Lamb tagine with prunes and dried apricots<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n

In Algeria, it is called tajine hlou<\/strong> or lahlou, which means sweet, and is very popular during
\nramadan<\/strong>. This dish is lightly sweetened with prunes and dried apricots cooked with a little sugar and cinnamon.<\/p>\n

For my part, I try to use good quality prunes like those from Agen and good dried apricots, which I cook without adding sugar and with just a little powdered cinnamon or cinnamon stick.<\/p>\n

Which meat to choose for a prune and dried apricot tagine?  <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

It’s best made with leg or shoulder of lamb, which has more flavor and is a very tender, flavorful meat. Nevertheless, many people opt for veal or beef, which are less fatty.<\/p>\n

 Tagine is no less good if you respect the cooking time and the choice of meat. Choose pieces of veal shank or shoulder, which cook faster and are more tender.<\/p>\n

\"MoroccanYou can garnish this “hlou”  meat tagine with a mixture of prunes, dried apricots and toasted toasted blanched almonds<\/strong><\/a> or just prunes and almonds or dried apricots and almonds. You can also sprinkle the prunes with a few toasted sesame seeds.<\/span><\/p>\n

We accompany this tagine with small Moroccan salads that are very easy to make, such as the grilled bell pepper and tomato salad, with eggplant zaalouk, <\/a><\/strong>carrots with chermoula, taktouka, potato, parsley and garlic salad etc…<\/p>\n

Ingredients: <\/strong><\/h2>\n

NB:<\/strong> You’ll find the printable recipe card at the end of the article, plus a few tips below.<\/span><\/p>\n

For 6 \/8 persons<\/span><\/p>\n

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  • 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) of lamb meat, either shoulder or shank, or veal shank.<\/li>\n
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil<\/li>\n
  • 1 teaspoon salt<\/li>\n
  • 1 teaspoon ginger<\/li>\n
  • 1\/2 teaspoon pepper<\/li>\n
  • 2 teaspoons turmeric<\/li>\n
  • 1 teaspoon saffron pistils<\/li>\n
  • the tip of a teaspoon of cinnamon<\/li>\n
  • the tip of a knife of rancid butter (optional)<\/li>\n
  • 1 large onion, chopped<\/li>\n
  • 2 small glasses of water<\/li>\n
  • 350 g (12.3 oz) prunes or half prunes and half dried apricots<\/li>\n
  • 100 g almonds (3.5 oz)<\/li>\n
  • 1 cinnamon stick<\/li>\n
  • 2 tablespoons sugar or honey optional<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Preparation steps :<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Cooking tagine<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    1. Mix all the spices with 3 tablespoons of water in a cul-de-poule and sear the pieces of meat on all sides.<\/p>\n

    2. Place the olive oil in a Dutch oven or pressure cooker (if you’re in a hurry) and bring to a simmer.<\/p>\n

    3. Brown the pieces of meat in the pan, turning from time to time so that the meat takes on a nice color.<\/p>\n

    4. Add the chopped onion and simmer for ten minutes before adding 2 small glasses of water.<\/p>\n

    5. Cover and cook over a low heat for 45 minutes or more, until the meat is tender.<\/p>\n

    6. Keep an eye on the sauce from time to time; if it runs out, add a little water.<\/p>\n

    7. Once the meat is cooked through and melting, let the sauce brown to leave just enough to serve. It should be smooth and creamy.<\/p>\n

    Cooking prunes, dried apricots and almonds<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    1. Wash prunes, cover with water in a saucepan, add cinnamon stick and cook over medium heat. <\/p>\n

    2. I don’t add sugar, I let it coat with its own sugar, but you can add a little honey or sugar to taste.<\/p>\n

    3. Do the same for the dried apricots in a second pan.<\/p>\n

    4. Cover almonds with water in a saucepan and boil for 2 min, more or less. Take an almond and see if rubbing it with your fingers will remove the skin easily.<\/p>\n

    5. Rinse in cold water and trim. Brown them in the preheated oven at 160\u00b0C for about fifteen minutes.<\/p>\n

    6. You can also brown them in an oil bath over low heat.<\/p>\n

    7. To  serve, place the meat on a platter or divide between several plates. Spoon some of the hot, creamy sauce over the top and sides. Decorate with prunes, dried apricots and a few almonds. Serve immediately.<\/p>\n

    8. I hope you enjoy this recipe for a meat dish with prunes, dried apricots and almonds, and that it inspires you to make it yourself.<\/p>\n

    \"tagine<\/p>\n

    How do you cut the meat for this tagine?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

    You can cut the meat into small pieces, but it’s best to cut pieces weighing at least 150 g (5.3 oz) Baking keeps their shape and makes them more presentable. For ceremonies, the pieces of meat are much larger, up to 500 g (17.6 oz).<\/p>\n

    In the Moroccan tradition, whether you’re 5 or 12 people, you eat from the same plate.  Nowadays, everyone is served on their own plate, so it’s essential to have small enough pieces of meat to serve easily.<\/p>\n

    If you really want to use parsley and coriander, they should be in bunches, not chopped. The meat tagine with prunes should have a smooth, honeyed sauce thanks to the juices of the meat and onion. The sauce should remain clear, with no trace of chopped herbs.<\/p>\n

    How to cook a good lamb tagine with prunes?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Slow cooking over low heat is my favorite. It reminds me of my grandmother, who used to bring out her big pot for big receptions, which could hold up to a sheep. For her, it was inconceivable to cook over an electric or gas fire, let alone use a pressure cooker, which was the lazy woman’s method.<\/p>\n

    She would get up early and cook the meat slowly over a wood or charcoal fire.  The meat simmered slowly with very little sauce, which is the advantage of this type of cooking. The meat became super melting and tasty with a little creamy sauce.<\/p>\n

    Sometimes towards the end, she would place a few embers on the lid. The meat took on a beautiful golden color, as if it had just come out of the oven.<\/p>\n

    I’ve seen recipes for this dish with tomato and\/or garlic, but the real sweet and savory lamb tagine with prunes doesn’t contain any and has no spices other than ginger, pepper, cinnamon and saffron.<\/p>\n

    This lamb tagine contains no parsley, coriander or other herbs. The tomato would bring acidity and a red color, whereas we want a golden yellow color. Garlic is not suitable, as its strong taste will overpower the flavor of the meat.  It also doesn’t go well with the sweetness of dried fruit. <\/p>\n

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    \"Moroccan<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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