Easy Lamb Tagine With Pomegranate Recipes

Steps:

• Place lamb in a 5- or 6-qt. oval slow cooker. Add pears and shallots. Combine 1/4 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup pomegranate juice, honey and seasonings; add to slow cooker., Cook, covered, on low for until meat is tender, 6-8 hours. Remove lamb to a rimmed serving platter; keep warm. Stir remaining orange and pomegranate juices into cooking liquid; pour over lamb. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and parsley. If desired, serve over couscous.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Heat the oil in a casserole and brown the lamb on all sides. Scoop the lamb out onto a plate, then add the onion and carrots and cook for 2-3 mins until golden. Add the garlic and cook for 1 min more. Stir in the spices and tomatoes, and season. Tip the lamb back in with the chickpeas and apricots. Pour over the stock, stir and bring to a simmer. Cover the dish and place in the oven for 1 hr.
• If the lamb is still a little tough, give it 20 mins more until tender. When ready, leave it to rest so it's not piping hot, then serve scattered with pomegranate and herbs, with couscous or rice alongside.

Steps:

• Dredge lamb in flour.
• Heat walnut oil or olive oil in tajine or Dutch oven with tighlly fitting lid. Once oil is hot, add the lamb and season generously with salt and pepper. Brown lamb on all sides and remove from pan.
• Meanwhile toast walnuts in preheated oven (350 degrees F) for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop.
• Add 2/3s of the onions and all of the carrot and celery to the tajine and saute until softened. (Since 1 onion is used to make the relish, only 2 onions are used in this stage) Next add the finely minced garlic and ginger and saute a few minutes longer. Then add ground cumin, turmeric, and allspice, stirring well to combine all ingredients. Return lamb to the pan, adding the toasted chopped walnuts. Continue to stir, allowing all flavors to marry.
• Add in 2 cups pomegranate juice, cinnamon stick, and enough chicken broth to cover the meat. (You might not need the whole cup). Also add the bay leaves. (I had some curry leaves so used those instead of bay leaves). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer and cover with a tightly fitting lid. Simmer for two hours, stirring occasionally, until lamb has become tender. If it becomes too dry during cooking, add more liquid. If there is too much liquid, then simmer uncovered.
• Meanwhile make the Onion-Pomegranate Relish: Place remaining thinly sliced onion in a bowl. Add the lime juice and ~ 1/2 cup pomegranate juice, then allow to stand one hour. Drain the onions, discarding all the liquid. This step takes the "bite" out the onion. Add pomegranate seeds to taste, a dash of salt, and chopped cilantro, also to taste.
• Once lamb is tender, add honey. Start with 1/4 cup, then increase according to taste. Simmer gently, long enough for the honey to infuse throughout the lamb tajine. Keep in mind, however, that honey burns easily and can create a bitter taste. (If I had dates on hand, they would have been added early on and the honey would have been omitted.).
• Serve over couscous, garnished generously with pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro and the Harissa and Onion-Pomegranate Relish on the side. (Harissa is a chile-based condiment often used with Middle Eastern and Northern Africa cuisine. Although I have made it in the past, I just used what I had on hand -- something I had purchased from T J Maxx.).

Steps:

• Trim shanks of excess fat, then season generously with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine garlic, fresh ginger, paprika and cumin, and smear over shanks. Leave shanks at room temperature to season for at least an hour. (Or you can wrap and refrigerate several hours, or overnight; return to room temperature before proceeding.)
• In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onion, saffron and cayenne, and sprinkle with salt. Cook for 5 minutes, until somewhat softened. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Lower heat to medium, add seasoned shanks and let cook with onions, turning occasionally, until meat and onions are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Add cinnamon stick, dried ginger, chopped dates and water to barely cover (about 31/2 to 4 cups) to the pot. Bring to a simmer, cover pot with a tightfitting lid and place in oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then turn heat down to 350 degrees. Check sauce and add water if level of liquid is below meat. Continue baking for another hour, checking liquid level occasionally, then test meat by probing with skewer or paring knife. It should be quite tender and almost falling from bone, but cooked no further. (Tagine may be prepared to this point up to two days ahead. Reheat gently in a covered pot on the stovetop, adding a little more water as necessary.)
• Remove meat from pot and place in deep, wide serving bowl. Skim off any surface fat from cooking liquid in pot. Add whole dates to pot and simmer for a few minutes to reduce sauce slightly. Pour sauce and dates over meat. To serve, garnish with raisins, pomegranate seeds and cilantro sprigs.

Steps:

• Combine broth and pomegranate juice in a large heavy pot, Dutch oven, or tagine. Whisk in coriander, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, 1 3/4 tsp. salt, and 3/4 tsp. pepper. Add lamb, onion, and garlic, toss to coat, and gently simmer over low to medium-low heat, mostly covered, until lamb is fork-tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Uncover, increase heat to medium, and continue to cook until juices are thickened, about 15 minutes more; taste and adjust seasonings.
• Transfer lamb mixture along with any accumulated juices to a serving dish. Top with parsley or cilantro, pomegranate arils, and mint.
• Do Ahead
• Tagine can be made 3 days ahead; cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.