Best Lamb Tagine With Walnuts And Pomegranate Recipes

EASY LAMB TAGINE WITH POMEGRANATE

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.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine lamb and 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add apricots, and let sit at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a tagine, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, add lamb to pot, leaving room around each piece (this will help them brown). Cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Drain fat, if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lamb and any juices on the plate, the apricots and stock, and half the cilantro. Cover pot with foil and then its lid, and cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lamb is tender, turning it occasionally. (If using a tagine, you don't need to use foil.) Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter and 1 cinnamon stick over medium heat. Add almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
• To serve, transfer lamb and juices to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and any butter left in the small skillet, scallions, parsley and remaining cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve with flatbread or couscous, if desired.

LAMB TAGINE WITH WALNUTS AND POMEGRANATE

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.).