This is a recipe for a succulent fall-apart tender lamb shoulder that is slow cooked in a rich massaman curry sauce, presented in a grand roast lamb centrepiece form. My current most-made lamb shoulder recipe. Got 5 minutes to make it? 🙂

5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder

This recipe is going to save you on those occasions when you need to serve a group and are pressed for time, yet still wanting to make something that looks impressive. I mean, we have a reputation to uphold, after all! 🙂

You literally just put everything in a pan, which takes all of 5 minutes, then leave it in the oven to slow roast for 4 hours.

And what comes out is extraordinary. The lamb meat is succulent fall-apart tender, swimming in a to-die-for massaman curry sauce with soft potatoes that literally melt in your mouth.

Plus, it can be made the day before because it reheats 100% perfectly (can’t say that about most roasts!) and it’s kid friendly because Massaman curry isn’t spicy.

Cynical? Don’t blame you!

If it sounds too good to be true – I don’t blame you for being cynical! This recipe works very specifically because it’s slow-roasted (allows time for the sauce and meat to develop flavour), we’re using lamb meat (more flavourful than chicken, pork and beef) and because we’re using a richly flavoured curry sauce as the braising liquid.

Need more proof? Head over to the Massaman Lamb Shanks. Same method. Glowing reviews!

Ingredients in Massaman Lamb Shoulder

A shortcut in this recipe is that we use store bought curry paste. In fact, homemade Massaman Curry paste doesn’t work for this recipe because it’s too fresh! We need the concentrated flavour of store bought.

Also, as mentioned above, using lamb here is a deliberate choice. In fact, traditional Massaman Curry is made with beef but I opt for lamb because it’s a stronger flavoured meat.

1. Lamb shoulder

Lamb shoulder is a cut of lamb that needs to be cooked long and slow to give the tough meat fibres time to break down and become tender. You can’t cook shoulder to blushing pink like a traditional Lamb Leg, it’s just too tough.

• Where to get it – These days, you can find shoulder in regular grocery stores here in Australia. It used to be cheaper than lamb leg but now it’s about the same price. But, it is more succulent and has better flavour than lamb leg!

• Get bone in because the meat is juicier. Trust me on this, I’ve tested bone-in and boneless side by side. The difference is phenomenal! (See FAQ for more information).

• Other lamb cuts – For lamb shanks, use the Massaman Lamb Shanks recipe (it’s slightly different). Boneless lamb shoulder will work but reduce the cooking time by an hour.

• Other proteins – I don’t think beef chuck would add enough flavour into the sauce for this method of cooking (ie no searing meat prior). Beef short ribs do work (reduce bake time by about 1 1/2 hours, it was great). Pork shoulder will also work but I haven’t got my head around how good pork is with massaman curry sauce. Tasty, but perhaps better with beef or lamb? Chicken won’t work because it can’t be cooked long enough to give the sauce sufficient time to develop enough flavour. Bear in mind this recipe is designed with convenience in mind which means we need slow-cooking time for flavour creation!

2. THE CURRY PART

• Massaman Curry paste – Maesri is my preferred brand. Not all curry pastes are made equal! More on this below.

• Cinnamon and star anise – Flavour boost of two dominant spices in Massaman curry paste.

• Coconut milk – As used in traditional Massaman Curry sauce. Look for a coconut milk that is at least 80% coconut! Very economical brands can be as low as 30% which barely taste of coconut. I use Ayam (89%).

• Chicken stock/broth – To create volume to make a braising liquid to mostly submerge the lamb, as well as adding depth of flavour into the sauce. A shortcut – traditional Massaman Curry is made by braising pieces of beef in liquid to make a homemade stock which is used for the sauce.

  Get low-sodium so your sauce doesn’t end up too salty. (Though it won’t be a disaster if you don’t get low sodium as the giant hunk of lamb + potatoes will absorb the salt).

• Potato and onion – traditionally included in traditional Massaman Curry. Use whole baby potatoes, around 3cm/1.2″ wide is ideal, so they hold together and become beautifully soft and creamy inside. ⚠️ Do not use cubes of cut potato as they will disintegrate and make the sauce grainy!

3. Maesri curry paste

Here is the undisputed king of all store bought Thai curry pastes – Maesri. Restaurants use it, chefs use it, and food obsessed people like myself are mad for it.

And it happens to be sold at regular grocery stores and it’s the cheapest (currently ~$2.00).

I use it for all my Thai curries when I don’t have time / ingredients to make the curry paste from scratch – Red, Green and traditional Massaman beef curry. And any other recipe calling for a dollop or two of curry paste, from the peanut dipping sauce for Thai Satay Chicken to Thai Coconut Pumpkin Soup to Red Curry Pot Roast Chicken!

• Where to find Maesri curry paste – At your local grocery store! It’s sold at most metropolitan Coles and Woolworths grocery stores in Australia (Asian section), at Harris Farms, practically all Asian stores (it would be un-Asian not to carry it!) and here it is online in the US, Canada* and UK.

• Can’t find it? Use any Massaman Curry paste you can find. My personal order of preference (Aussie brands) – Ayam, Five Tastes and bringing up the rear is Volcom (it’s always too sweet).

* Obscenely expensive, please try to get to an Asian store!

How to make Massaman Lamb Shoulder

2 easy steps -put everything into a pan, bake 4 hours! You can also use your slow cooker – see recipe notes.

1. Sauce – Put the curry, coconut and stock in a roasting pan. Whisk until lump free (including pesky coconut milk lumps).

   💡If making ahead to reheat tomorrow, use a ceramic, glass or enamel coated cast iron baking dish rather than a metal one. I typically try to avoid keeping foods in any type of metal pans overnight. Just to be cautious!

2. Lamb upside down – Put the lamb shoulder in then turn to coat in the sauce. Then arrange it so it is upside down in the sauce. ie fat cap side / meaty side down, red boney side facing up. This way most of the meat is submerged in the liquid so it braises.

   Scatter the onion, cinnamon, star anise and potatoes around the lamb.

3. Slow roast high then low – Cover with foil. Roast for 1 hour 220°C/425°F (200°C fan) to get the heat going inside the pan (it’s a big hunk of meat there, which takes a while to heat up), then 3 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until the meat is fork-tender. This means that you should be able to pry the meat apart with two forks without any effort.

4. Brown it – Remove the foil and carefully turn the lamb over so. Spoon some sauce over then pop it back in the oven for 30 minutes until the surface is a lovely deep golden brown.

   Sauce adjustments – If you don’t have enough sauce when you remove the foil, just add water before browning the lamb. If there’s too much / too thin, just pop the pan back into the oven without the lamb (once browned). It’s so easy to adjust!

   Making ahead? After browning, let it fully cool uncovered then refrigerate overnight. On the day of, just reheat it in the oven covered for 1 hour. See recipe notes for directions!

5. Skim fat – Remove it from the oven and let it rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Skim off the excess fat from the surface of the sauce using a large spoon. There will be a fair amount – around 1/2 to 3/4 cup (125 – 180 ml). Lamb shoulder is a fatty cut, and that is why it is so tasty! Don’t try to get all the fat because otherwise you’ll lose too much sauce. And remember, fat = flavour!

   💡If you refrigerated overnight, you can lift sheets of the fat off the surface of the sauce but be sure to scrape all the sauce off the underside!

6. Garnish and serve – If you’re posh (I’m not), transfer everything into a serving dish then sprinkle with the red chilli slices and coriander/cilantro. Serve with rice and tongs – no carving knife required here, this is not the carving sort! See the section below for various serving styles.

Serving styles

An odd-sounding heading perhaps, but it will make sense once I explain! Here are the 3 ways I have served this lamb in the past few months (it’s been regularly used since I invented it, so handy for groups):

1. Lazy format for familiar people eg family, casual lunch with the team – Leave the whole lamb shoulder in the roasting pan. It does get a bit messy as the meat-tearing progresses as the bone gets in the way, and also there are pockets of fat that I find people tend to avoid and leave in the pan. But, it’s less work for me to serve, and the whole lamb looks impressive! 🙂 I do this most of the time!

2. Meat fully removed – This one is easy for guests to serve themselves though lacks the visual impact of a whole lamb shoulder. Remove all the meat off the bone and separate into large-ish serving-size chunks. Remove and discard large identifiable pockets of fat. Squidge meat in sauce, garnish, serve with large serving spoon.

3. Bone removed, lamb in-tact – This is a good way to have visual impact of a whole piece of lamb but it’s easier to serve because the bone is removed. You literally just grab the bone and slide it out of the meat, taking care to keep the lamb in tact. Because the meat is so tender, it should slide out effortlessly.

What to serve with Massaman Lamb Shoulder

Rice is essential, for sauce soaking. Jasmine is my first pick (being Thai and all) though basmati is beautiful with it too, given the Indian influence of Massaman curry. They both have a slight perfume of flavour that goes so well with this dish but I’m sure nobody would snob other rice types on offer! 🙂

I’d suggest opting for a light and fresh side salad as this dish is quite rich. It’s pictured above with an Asian Slaw on the side. Some more suggestions: Leafy Asian salad, Chang’s Crispy Noodle Salad, Smashed Cucumber Salad, Japanese Slaw, Glass Noodle Salad (skip the chicken), or any fresh vegetables/salady things / blanched greens you want tossed with my simple 4 ingredient Asian Sesame Dressing.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Fall-apart massaman lamb shoulder

Recipe video above. Fall-apart succulent lamb smothered in a rich massaman curry sauce with melt-in-your-mouth potatoes that will take you 5 minutes to prepare.

This larger-format version of Lamb Shanks Massaman Curry is made for groups: make up to 4 shoulders at once (serves 25 – 30!), reheats 110% perfectly (unlike lamb leg!), it looks impressive and a crowd pleaser. Plus it's kid friendly because Massaman Curry isn't spicy!

Course Main

Cuisine Thai-ish

Keyword lamb shoulder, Massaman Curry

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Resting 15 minutes minutes

Servings 6 – 8

Calories 478cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 2-2.25kg/ 4 – 4.5 lb lamb shoulder , bone in, excess fat trimmed (but leave thin fat layer on (Note 1)
• 114g/ 4oz (1/2 cup) Maesri Massaman curry paste (1 can) , or other brand (Note 2)
• 400g/ 14 oz can coconut milk , full fat (Note 3)
• 3 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1 onion , halved then cut into 1 cm / 1/2″ thick wedges
• 2 cinnamon sticks (or 1/2 tsp powder)
• 2 star anise (won’t ruin if you don’t have this)
• 600g/ 1.2 lb small baby potatoes , whole (don’t cut cubes, Note 4)

Garnishes / serving:

• 2 large red chillis , finely sliced diagonally (optional)
• 1 cup (lightly packed) coriander leaves & sprigs (cilantro) , highly recommended
• Jasmine rice (basmati also excellent)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Abbreviated recipe:

• Whisk curry, coconut and stock, put lamb in upside down. Add spices and potatoes, foil cover, roast 1 hour at 220°C/425°F (200°C fan), 3 hours 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) or until fall-apart. Uncover, turn lamb, 30 minutes. Garnish, serve!

Full recipe steps:

• Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan-forced).
• Whisk the curry paste, coconut milk and chicken stock in a pan until lump free. Put lamb shoulder in, turn to coat in the sauce then place it so it's upside down (ie meaty / fat side down).
• Place the onion, cinnamon sticks, star anise and potatoes around the lamb. Cover with foil.
• Slow-cook – Roast for 1 hour. LOWER the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) then roast for a further 3 hours. (Note 5)
• Check – Remove foil and use forks to check the meat is virtually “fall-apart-tender”, it should be by this time. If not, cover and keep cooking.
• Brown – Turn the lamb over, spoon over sauce. Bake uncovered 30 minutes or until deep golden. (Note 6 for sauce adjustments)
• Serve – Rest for 10 – 15 minutes. Spoon off as much or as little excess fat off surface, discard. Mix sauce well (it's quite runny, if it was thicker it'd be too rich). Transfer to a serving dish, if you like, sprinkle with chilli and coriander. Serve! (Note 7 for serving styles)

Notes

1. Lamb – Small lamb shoulders work too, but then there’s less meat 🙂 There’s enough sauce for a shoulder up to around 2.5kg/5lb, bone-ine. Boneless shoulder also excellent, ~1.75 kg / 3.5lb, it should be fall-apart by about the 3 hour mark. Lamb leg (bone-in) will also work but because it’s leaner, the meat is not as juicy.

Other meat that will work: boneless short rib, whole pork shoulder (bone-in), but please read in post for comments on these cuts. Chicken not recommended!

2. Massaman curry paste – best is Maesri brand, sold at most Woolworths (see here) & Coles in Australia, as well as Harris Farms and Asian stores. Also happens to be the cheapest at ~$2.10 a can. 

Otherwise, use whatever brand you can find (my preferences: Ayam, Five Tastes and lastly Volcom).

3. Coconut milk – not all coconut milk is created equal. Look for brands that are at least 80% coconut for better coconut flavour (check the ingredients), I use Ayam which is 89%.

4. Potatoes – small ones ~3cm / 1.2″ is ideal. Keep them whole or halve, with skin on. Don’t use peeled cubes of potato, they will disintegrate and make the sauce grainy.

5. Oven temps – Initial high temp roasting is to get heat inside the lamb and liquid, cuts down on slow roasting time by an hour. 

Slow cooker – 10 hours on low. Transfer everything to a pan (lamb upside down), 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) 30 minutes, turn lamb, 30 – 45 minutes until nicely coloured and sauce reduced (remove lamb and reduce in oven more if needed). Handy, but, oven roasting is better flavour (better caramelisation). 🙂

6. Sauce amount – If you don’t have enough sauce when you remove the foil (eg foil not on properly, extra large pan, lamb was not as juicy, oven runs hot), just add water before browning the lamb. If there’s too much / too thin, just pop the pan back into the oven without the lamb (once browned). It’s so easy to adjust!

7. Serving style – See in post for suggestions, section above the video. Whole, or boneless whole, or shredded. Different occasions for each!

8. MAKE-AHEAD BRILLIANCE – One of the rare roasts that reheats almost 100% perfectly (in fact, the sauce flavour gets better with time), making it excellent for making ahead for gatherings. Use a ceramic or glass baking dish, fully cool (whole) then refrigerate overnight in the dish. Take out of the fridge a good 2 hours prior, cover loosely with foil, reheat at 180°C/350°F (160°C) for 1 hour (2 shoulders each in separate pans took 1 hour 15 minutes).

Nutrition per serving assuming 8 servings. It will serve 6 comfortably with rice and a single side salad (lamb meat + the sauce is pretty rich), up to 8 if you had a couple of sides.

Nutrition

Calories: 478cal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 48g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 502mg | Potassium: 1100mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2250IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 75mg | Iron: 7mg

Lamb shoulder is a firm favourite for entertaining

See?

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder

Ultimate Roast Lamb: 12-hour lamb shoulder

Middle Eastern Shredded Lamb with Chickpea Pilaf (Rice)

Slow Cooked Lamb Shawarma

Roast Lamb

Life of Dozer

If you told me 10 years ago I’d be sitting on the floor of a shopping centre with a dog watching a lightwall until the advert for my book signing came up, I’d have looked at you like I’m crazy.

Instead, people were looking at me like I’m crazy!! 😂

Here’s a fun little video I put together of Dozer’s visit to Warringah Mall yesterday to check out our lightwall! Truthfully, I was a little disappointed. I was secretly hoping for a giant photo of Dozer. I know, I know, I’m such an ungrateful brat! 😈

The post 5 Minute Fall-apart Massaman Lamb Shoulder appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Chicken Cacciatore, “Hunter’s Stew” or Pollo Cacciatore in Italian, is a hearty, rustic stew made with chicken and vegetables simmered in a tomato sauce rich with wine and herbs. Simple, cosy, downright tasty homemade comfort food!

Chicken cacciatore – an Italian chicken stew

I have a soft spot for chicken stews (proof here and here and here) because you get all the stewy-goodness that takes hours with beef stew in under an hour. Because, thank you chicken, you cook fast and we don’t need to take you to fall-apart-goodness to be juicy perfection!

Today’s chicken stew is Chicken Cacciatore. “Cacciatore” means “hunter” in Italian and in cooking it commonly refers to a stewy-type meal made with tomatoes, onion, herbs and usually red wine in which a protein is braised, typically chicken and rabbit, though I’ve also seen lamb and vegetarian versions.

Cacciatore is one of those foods where there are no rules or one way to make it, which means there are countless regional varieties and family recipes all over Italy and the world.

And today, I’m sharing my version which, in outside of Italy (certainly in Australia) would be considered a fairly classic version made with popular choices including chicken with onions, mushrooms and capsicum (bell peppers).

The tomato based stew sauce is flavoured with red wine, rosemary, bay leaves and dried oregano, as well as the flavours from the chicken, vegetables and whole olives (don’t skip this!). It’s all simmered together for 30 minutes which is enough time for the flavours to meld together and for the chicken to be cooked through to juicy perfection, but much faster to make than a slow cooked beef stew!

Ingredients in Chicken Cacciatore

Here’s what you need to make this Chicken Cacciatore.

Best chicken for Chicken Cacciatore

Because the sauce needs to be simmered for 30 minutes to allow it to develop flavour and thicken, we need a cut of chicken that can hold up to that simmer time. Bone in thighs and drumsticks are the answer! Bonus: Juicier, tastier and cheaper than boneless chicken breast. 🙂

Mix of thighs and drumsticks – I like to use a mix of thighs and drumsticks, but you can use just one or the other. Use as many as you can fit in the pan, bearing in mind they will shrink a bit as they cook (I use 4 of each, around 1.6kg / 3lb in total). This will feed 4 adults with hearty appetites (one thigh and one drumstick each), or 6 smaller servings (either 1 thigh or 2 drumsticks per person).

Other suitable cuts – Chicken Marylands (quarters) would also be ideal! I would use 4.

Boneless thighs or breast – However, if you prefer or only have boneless thighs or breast, I’ve popped directions in the recipe notes for how to adjust the recipe (just add them back into the sauce towards the end of the simmer time so they don’t overcook).

Vegetables and herbs

Bugger! I forgot dried oregano in the photo. 🙂

• Mushrooms – I just use regular white / button mushrooms. Feel free to use other types.

• Capsicum (bell peppers) – This imparts a distinct flavour into the sauce which I love and associate with the “cacciatore” flavour. So I always use capsicum!

  My brother prefers fennel which is very on theme, being a vegetable widely used in traditional Italian cooking. He also threw out the statement “capsicum is soooo pedestrian, fennel makes it more interesting!”. The whole RecipeTin Family is very opinionated about food! 😂 Both fennel and capsicum are lovely in this dish. You choose! There is no right answer.

• Bay leaves – I like to use fresh because I have a plant (excellent one to grow in a pot, hard to accidentally kill). However, dried will work fine too.

• Rosemary – Using sprigs of fresh rosemary sort of “perfumes” the sauce in a way that dried rosemary will not. So really try to use fresh if you can, though it can be substituted with dried rosemary.

• Dried oregano – Accidentally left out of the photo! I prefer to use dried rather than fresh because it has an earthier flavour that I think works better for this dish.

• Onion and garlic – Essential flavour base for the sauce!

Cacciatore sauce ingredients

As mentioned above, anchovies are the “secret ingredient” that add depth of flavour into this tomato based sauce without making it taste fishy at all. I doubt even someone with a really refined palette would know it is in there. But, if you’re really anti-anchovies, you can use fish sauce instead (similar savouriness) or boring ole’ salt!

• Anchovies – Use the anchovies in oil that comes in jars and cans. The anchovies are grey and salty. Don’t use the white anchovies in a vinegary oil that are more expensive. These are made for popping straight into your mouth rather than cooking with! I put them on charcuterie boards.

• Red wine – Wine is used to flavour the sauce but once cooked, it won’t taste winey. I like to use pinot noir for cooking so this is the one I have on hand all the time. However, any dry red wine can be used, or substituted with white wine. There is no need to use expensive wine here, it’s wasted! Get a steeply discounted bottle from the discount bins at the liquor store.

  Non-alcoholic substitute – The alcohol in the wine is mostly cooked out because we reduce the wine then the sauce is simmered for a further 30 minutes. However, if you need an alcohol-free option, use extra chicken stock instead.

• Kalamata olives – Use whole, pitted kalamata olives. The brine goodness of the olives adds both flavour and salt into the sauce, so don’t skip it! (Note: I way prefer the flavour and texture of Kalamata olives over standard “black olives” which are firmer and have less flavour).

• Chicken stock/broth – Low sodium please. This way we can control the level of salt we add. I always worry when using full salt chicken stock that sauces end up too salty and you can’t undo it.

• Tomato – Tomato paste and canned tomato. The tomato paste thickens the sauce (so we don’t need flour or other thickener) and adds an extra hit of tomato flavour.

How to make Chicken Cacciatore

Brown chicken skin > sauté veg > simmer 30 minutes. Easy!

1. Season – Lay the chicken out on a tray then sprinkle each side with salt and pepper.

2. Brown – Using a large pan with a lid (mine is 30cm/12″ wide, this Pyrolux, it seems to only be available in Australia). Sear the skin side of the thighs until golden (about 6 minutes) then the flesh side for only 1 minute. Put it back on the same try then brown the drumsticks as best you can (because of the shape, you can’t brown it evenly, that’s ok).

3. Sauté & dissolve anchovies – Sauté the onion with the rosemary and bay leaves until the onion is softened. Then clear a space in the middle of the pan and cook the garlic with the anchovies, mashing up the anchovies as you go (ie no need to mince with a knife, just add them in whole). Then mix the garlic and anchovies up with the onion.

4. Cook vegetables – Add the capsicum and mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes until softened. The mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate, by this time they should be softened.

5. Cook off tomato paste – Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. This will take off the sour edge and improve the flavour, so don’t skip this step.

6. Sauce – Add the wine and reduce by about 3/4 (to cook out the winey flavour, leaving behind just the tasty wine flavour). Then add the canned tomato, chicken stock/broth, dried oregano, salt and pepper.

7. Simmer – Once the sauce comes up to a simmer, gently place the chicken pieces in, skin-side up. Then put the lid on and simmer for 20 minutes on medium. The liquid should be simmering gently, not rapidly (it will spill over if it does).

8. Olives & thicken sauce – Remove the lid and add the olives. Then simmer for a further 10 minutes without the lid. The olives will soften and meld into the sauce, and the sauce will reduce and thicken.

And that’s it! Ready to serve!

Serve over mashed potato or polenta, an excellent on-theme option for Italian food. If you don’t have the time to make “real” polenta (which does take a good 40 minutes or so), buy “instant polenta” or “quick polenta” which takes 5 to 10 minutes on the stove.

It’s also lovely over plain rice or just served in a bowl with crusty bread on the side for mopping. Serve it with a leafy green salad on the side tossed with my Everyday Salad Dressing (or upgrade to Italian Dressing) for a simple midweek meal. Or if you’re making this for a Sunday Supper with family and friends, go all out by serving it with a Mega Italian Salad, garlic bread and a warm Cinnamon Rice Pudding or Baked Stuffed Apples for dessert. Swoon! – Nagi x

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Chicken Cacciatore

Recipe video above. I love this chicken stew, made with simple ingredients that's so cosy and comforting. Also known as Hunter's Stew, this is made with a tomato sauce that's rich with red wine, herbs, and Kalamata olives.

While there are various regional variations, capsicum (bell peppers) and mushrooms are typical vegetable inclusions though I've also seen varieties using fennel which is so distinctly Italian too (finely slice and sauté). Serve over mash or polenta for the perfect cosy evening meal.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cacciatore, chicken cacciatore, Chicken Stew

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 4 – 6

Calories 495cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Chicken (Note 1):

• 4 bone in chicken thighs large (1 kg / 2 lb)
• 4 chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Cacciatore:

• 1 onion , halved, finely sliced
• 2 rosemary sprigs (about 15 cm/6″ long), or 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh else dried
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tsp anchovy paste), optional (Note 2)
• 250g / 8 oz mushrooms , sliced
• 2 red capsicum , sliced 8 mm thick (medium, not giant)
• 1/3 cup tomato paste
• 3/4 cup pinot noir or other dry red wine (Note 3)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400g/14 oz canned crushed tomato
• 16 whole kalamata olives , pitted, drained
• 1/4 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp dried oregano

Serving

• Mashed potato or polenta
• Finely chopped parsley , for sprinkling (optional)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Chicken:

• Season – Spread the chicken out on a tray. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
• Brown skin – Heat the oil over high heat in a large, deep, heavy based pan, preferably one with a lid (Note 4). Place the chicken thighs in the pan, skin side down, and cook until the skin is golden brown, around 6 minutes. Turn and cook the flesh side for just 1 minute, then remove the chicken onto the same tray. Then add the drumsticks and brown each side as best you can, about 1 1/2 minutes on each side (the shape makes it awkward). Remove onto the tray.

Cacciatore:

• Onion – Pour off and discard all but about 2 tablespoons of fat. Turn the heat down to medium and let the pan cool slightly. Add the onion, rosemary leaves, bay leaves and dried oregano. Cook for 3 minutes until the onion is starting to soften.
• Garlic and anchovies – Clear a space in the middle of the pan. Add the anchovies and garlic, cooking, mashing up the anchovies, until the garlic is light golden, then stir it into the onion.
• Vegetables & tomato paste – Turn the heat back up to high. Add the mushroom and capsicum. Stir until softened – about 5 minutes (the mushrooms will go watery then the water will evaporate). Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes to cook out the sour flavour – do not shortcut this.
• Sauce – Add the wine. Stir, bring to simmer then allow to reduce by around 75%. Add the stock, canned tomato, salt and pepper. Stir, bring to a simmer.
• Simmer – Then carefully place the chicken into the sauce (skin side up) and pour any juices on the tray in as well. When the liquid returns to a simmer, cover, reduce the heat to medium then simmer energetically for 20 minutes. Remove lid, add olives, simmer for a further 10 minutes (no lid). This will reduce and thicken the sauce.
• Serve – Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over mashed potato or polenta, sprinkled with parsley if desired.

Notes

1. Chicken – bone-in, skin-on chicken is best here so the flesh is beautifully juicy at the end of the simmering time and the sauce gets flavour from the fat rendered out of the chicken skin. Chicken marylands/quarters would also be ideal (use 4).

Boneless cuts – If you opt to use boneless thighs instead, sear the surface briefly then add into the sauce for the last 10 minutes of simmering time. For chicken breast, use 4 to 6, pound to even 1.5cm / 0.6″ thickness, sear then and return into the sauce for the last 5 to 8 minutes of simmering time until the internal temperature is 67C/153F. Remove chicken from the sauce and rest for 3 minutes before serving with sauce.

2. Anchovies are a well documented provider of extra flavour into dishes, and when used correctly (like here!) you can’t taste any fishiness at all. Trust me! But, if you simply can’t do it, substitute with 2 tsp fish sauce (add with canned tomato) or as a last resort, add an extra 1/2 tsp salt into the sauce.

3. Wine – For non alcoholic, use more chicken stock.

4. The pot you see pictured is 30cm / 12″ wide, this Pyrolux (Australia). If you don’t have a lid, just pop a baking tray on the pan during the simmering phase. It’s ok if the chicken isn’t fully submerged, just do the best you can. Any exposed parts will steam-cook.

Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.

Nutrition per serving assuming 6 servings, excludes mashed potato.

Nutrition

Calories: 495cal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 185mg | Sodium: 976mg | Potassium: 1035mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1747IU | Vitamin C: 63mg | Calcium: 68mg | Iron: 3mg

Life of Dozer

When Dozer made the cover of gossip mags!!!

OK, so he’s a small inset on the cover – but still! Check one off his bucket list! 🙌🏻😂

This was press in relation to a little guest judge appearance I did for Masterchef Australia which aired on Monday 17th June which you can watch here on Ten Play. What an experience! I’ll share more about it in an upcoming life happenings update. 🙂

On the health front, Dozer is doing so well! His energy levels and strength have improved to the point that he is breaking out into a run without me having to coax him like I used to. He wants to play, he is back to chasing birds, trotting into the kitchen whenever I pull something tasty out of the oven and I even take him on professional shoot days again! 🥰

I feel so grateful and relieved that he’s recovered ok from his surgery to get a reasonable level of normalcy back into his life. Most importantly to me, he is happy and back to enjoying life – and food!

Love this darn dog so darn much.

The post Chicken Cacciatore (Italian chicken stew) appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Rich with coconut cream and cashews, Lamb Korma is gently spiced and mildly sweet. It’s so family-friendly and easy to love, I call it “the other butter chicken!” Serve this lamb curry with basmati rice and homemade naan for a cosy Indian night in. Update: slow cooker, instant pot and pressure cooker directions added by popular demand!

Lamb Korma curry

Not all curries are fiery hot and intense flavoured, like Vindaloo and Rogan Josh. Like – everybody’s favourite Butter Chicken. And today’s Lamb Korma! The sauce is gently flavoured with spices, and it’s not spicy at all. It’s got a triple hit of creamy – pureed cashews, coconut cream and regular cream. And it’s a little bit sweet.

I describe it as “family friendly curry”, being one that everyone can enjoy!

Why make your own Lamb Korma?

Most Lamb Korma curries I’ve had at restaurants are far too sweet and much too oily for my taste. Same with jarred sauces from shops which also tend to completely lack depth of flavour.

I mean, Korma is supposed to be a bit sweet. But not candy sweet!!

Making Lamb Korma at home is so much better. It’s reliable, far cheaper, healthier and it’s really no harder than making a regular beef stew. Plus, you’ll find everything you need from large grocery stores except perhaps Kashmiri chilli which you can easily substitute with smoked paprika + cayenne pepper.

Are you ready to make your own Lamb Korma with fall-apart lamb smothered in a gorgeous creamy cashew-coconut sauce?? Yes you are!!

PS Proof of fall-apart lamb hunks:

Ingredients in Lamb Korma curry

As I mentioned earlier, you should be able to find all the key ingredients from regular grocery stores (albeit large ones, perhaps not your cheerful local corner store!). There are a couple of speciality items you might not be able to find (ghee, Kashmiri powder) but there are easy substitutes!

1. Best lamb cut for lamb korma

Lamb shoulder is the best cut because it becomes meltingly tender with hours of slow cooking to break down the tough fibres. We cut the meat into large cubes else they will cook too quickly, before the sauce has had sufficient time to develop flavour.

The recipe calls for 800g/1.6 lb lamb sounds like a lot for 4 servings, but it shrinks a lot! In fact, the initial recipe used 600g of meat but it wasn’t enough for 4 adults.

Other lamb cuts – I can’t think of any other cut of lamb that will produce the same results, not even other slow cooking cuts of lamb. For example, there’s not enough meat on lamb shanks to cut large 5cm/2″ cubes we need for lamb korma. You can cook the shanks whole, though there’s not enough liquid to submerge 4 shanks. Lamb neck is great for slow cooking but too bony for this recipe (again, can’t cut large chunks). Lamb leg is too lean, and it’s illegal in my books to cook lamb cutlets and backstrap beyond medium rare (too expensive!).

Like I said, I can’t think of any other lamb cut suitable for this recipe. I have applied thought to it!!

Other meat (beef, pork) – Korma is traditionally made with lamb and the distinct flavour of lamb is partly what makes the korma curry sauce so special. However, the recipe will work as written with similar slow-cooking cuts of beef (chuck or boneless rib are the ones I’d recommend) or pork (pork shoulder). Chicken isn’t suitable for this recipe as written because it will be way overcooked in the time it takes to develop enough flavour in the sauce. I’d have to concentrate the sauce flavour a bit, so it’s a separate recipe!

2. lamb korma spices

Here are the spices you need for lamb korma. Don’t worry if you can’t find Kashmiri chilli powder! There’s an easy substitute.

• Kashmiri chilli powder is a spicy, smoky Indian chilli powder sold at Indian grocery stores and some speciality stores. Substitute with 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika plus 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

• Garam masala– a spice mix used in Indian cooking that is easily found these days in the spice aisle of large grocery stores. Think of it as the better curry powder! If you can’t find it, substitute with an Indian curry powder.

• Green cardamom pods – These are fairly easily found these days in regular grocery stores. They have a kind of citrusy fresh herbal flavour.

• Turmeric powder – Bright yellow powder that adds earthy flavour.

• Ginger powder – a warm flavour that is quite different to fresh ginger.

• Cinnamon sticks – Sticks rather than powder add a subtle perfume of flavour into the sauce.

3. onion-garlic-ginger paste & cashew puree

Two unique aspects of this curry is the use of pureed cashew to thicken and enrich the sauce, and starting the curry sauce with a good amount of sautéed pureed onion, ginger and garlic. Don’t even think about just using chopped onion, it’s not the same at all!

• Onion – Use brown or yellow onions.

• Garlic – 8 whole, large cloves!

• Ginger – A 5 cm/2″ piece, skin scraped or cut off then sliced.

• Cashews – Roasted, unsalted cashews which we puree into a thick sauce with a little water.

4. everything else for the curry sauce

And here’s everything else we need to make Lamb Korma:

• Ghee – A type of clarified butter used in Indian cooking, tastes like butter on steroids! It has a texture and melts like butter but can be kept in the pantry rather than in the fridge. Fairly readily available these days in the Indian section of large grocery stores, Indian and Asian shops, or make your own (super easy). Substitute with unsalted butter, or coconut oil (unrefined/virgin which has lovely coconut flavour).

• Sugar – Just 4 teaspoons adds a touch of sweetness in the sauce.

• Coconut cream – Thicker and richer than coconut milk! Full fat please. Low fat doesn’t have nearly as much coconut flavour.

• Regular cream – Again, full fat please! Else the sauce will lack richness.

• Chicken stock/broth – I see a lot of Indian home cooking recipes using water instead of stock or broth. To me, the sauce lacks depth of flavour when made using water. I have a theory that spices in India could be fresher and more aromatic that what we get a grocery stores in Western countries, which could explain this!

How to make Lamb Korma Curry

A stick blender is your friend here! Makes the pureeing of the onion and cashews a breeze. 🙂 While the onion can be pureed in a food processor, you will struggle with the cashews unless you have a small one because there isn’t enough volume.

1. Puree onion – Place the onion, garlic and ginger into a tall container that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth. It only takes about 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape it into a bowl, then set aside.

2. Cashew puree – In the same jar, blitz the cashews and water with the stick blender until smooth. It will only take about 10 seconds. Cover the mouth of the jar with your hand (to prevent flying cashew comets!). Then set aside. We will add it into the sauce partway through the slow cooking time.

3. Cardamom sachet (OPTIONAL) – Bundle and tie the cardamom pods into a sachet using muslin or cheesecloth. Otherwise, just put the loose pods in the curry and pick them out when eating (this really doesn’t bother me, but I know someone people don’t like it!).

4. Reduce onion puree – Melt and heat the ghee over high-heat. Then cook the onion puree for a good 8 minutes or until it reduces by half. Because it’s so watery, it won’t “sauté” like chopped onion. Rather, it just reduces and dries out. Don’t let it caramelise or brown.

5. Add lamb then stir until the lamb changes from red to light brown. Don’t try to brown the meat – it won’t happen!

6. Sauce – Stir in the ground spices (turmeric, ground ginger, garam marsala and kashmiri chilli). Then add the stock. The liquid will barely cover the meat. Add the cardamom pod sachet and cinnamon sticks, then stir. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then transfer to the oven.

7. Slow cook 2 hours – Cook for 1 1/2 hours at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Stir in the pureed cashews, put the lid back on then return to the oven for another 30 minutes. The sauce should have thickened to a creamy consistency and lamb should be tender end to pull apart with forks with no effort.

8. Finish & serve  – Place the pot on a low heat. Add the sugar, salt, coconut cream and cream, then stir. Simmer for 2 minutes, then it’s ready to serve. Look at the sauce!! Full of the promise of flavour!

What to serve with Lamb Korma

Serve over basmati rice, the type of rice traditionally served with Indian food. It’s more aromatic than plain white rice though really, you can use any type of rice in a pinch – see options here.

Adding naan for dunking is highly recommended! It’s exceptional – fluffy, bubbly and chewy like real restaurant naan rather than just a basic flatbread which all too many recipes are. It is a yeast dough, but it doesn’t require kneading!

If you’re looking to put on a full Indian feast (I feel you must, one of these days!), try Samosas or Pakoras as starters and add a Tomato Salad with Minted Yogurt Dressing as a fresh vegetable side.

suggested dishes to serve alongside lamb korma

Samosa recipe

How to cook Basmati Rice

Naan recipe – chewy & fluffy!

Pakora (Indian Vegetable Fritters)

Indian Tomato Salad with Mint Dressing

Persian Love Cake

No Bake Mango Cheesecake

Homemade Mango Ice Cream Recipe (No Ice Cream Maker!)

Regretfully, I don’t have any Indian dessert recipes. The closest I can offer up is a Persian Love Cake which is a gently spiced cake made with almond meal and semolina. Strictly speaking, it’s Middle Eastern (and in fact, was part of a Middle Eastern menu I shared, find it in the Persian Love Cake recipe) but the flavours would fit in nicely for an Indian themed dinner! – Nagi x

PS I just had another thought – Mango Ice Cream (no ice cream maker method) or Mango Cheesecake would also suit nicely, being that India is rather obsessed with mangoes!

Watch how to make it

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Lamb korma curry

Recipe video above. In stark contrast to bold spicy curries like Vindaloo, Lamb Korma is creamy, nutty and gently spiced. It's easy to love and so family-friendly, I call it the "other butter chicken"! Slow cooked until the meat is fall-apart tender, I particularly love the subtle cashew flavour in the sauce from the pureed cashews, and the distinct flavour that lamb adds to sauce.

* Oven method yields the best flavour but see note 8 for slow cooker, instant pot and pressure cooker methods. Super handy, and I was very happy with it!

Course Mains

Cuisine Indian

Keyword korma curry, lamb curry, lamb korma

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 604cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Onion paste:

• 2 large onions , cut into 1cm/1/2″ squares (brown or yellow)
• 8 large garlic cloves , peeled, halved
• 4cm/ 1.5" piece ginger , peeled, sliced 3mm/0.2″ thick

Cashew puree:

• 1/4 cup cashews , roasted, unsalted (~20 cashews)
• 1/3 cup water

Lamb korma

• 3 tbsp ghee (Note 1), or unsalted butter
• 800g / 1.6 lb lamb shoulder (Note 2), trimmed off excess fat, cut into 4-5 cm / 2" cubes
• 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 5 1/2 tsp garam marsala (Note 3)
• 1 tsp kashmiri chilli powder (or smoked paprika + cayenne – Note 4)
• 2 cups chicken stock/broth , low-sodium
• 10 cardamom pods (green), lightly crushed, wrapped and tied in muslin or cheesecloth (Note 5)
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 tsp white sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/2 cup coconut cream , full-fat (Note 6)
• 1/2 cup cream , full-fat (any type – thickened/heavy, pure etc)(Note 6)

SERVING

• Basmati rice or other plain white rice of choice
• Naan , for dunking! (optional)
• Cashews finely chopped (optional sprinkle)
• Coriander/cilantro leaves , roughly chopped (optional garnish)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Onion puree – Place the onion, garlic and ginger into a tall container that fits the head of a stick blender. Blitz until smooth – about 5 to 10 seconds. Scrape into a bowl, set aside.
• Cashew puree – In the same jar, while covering the mouth of the jar with your hand (to prevent flying cashew comets), blitz the cashews and water with the stick blender until smooth, about 10 seconds. , Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
• Reduce onion puree – Melt and heat ghee in a ~24 cm/ 10" oven-proof pot over high-heat. Cook the onion puree, stirring regularly, for 8 minutes until it has reduced by half. Don’t let it caramelise.
• Add lamb, reduce to medium-high heat then stir until the meat changes from red to light brown. Don’t try to brown the meat (it won't happen).
• Sauce – Add turmeric, ground ginger, garam marsala and kashmiri chilli, then stir through. Pour in the stock (the liquid should just barely cover the meat). Add cardamom pod sachet and cinnamon sticks, then stir. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then transfer to the oven.
• Slow cook – Cook for 1 1/2 hours. Stir in Cashew Puree, put the lid back on then return to the oven for another 30 minutes. The sauce should have thickened to a creamy consistency and lamb should be tender end to pull apart with forks with no effort. (Note 6)
• Creamy sauce – Place the pot on a low heat. Add the sugar, salt, coconut cream and cream, then stir. Simmer for 2 minutes, then you’re done!
• Serve over basmati rice with a sprinkle of cashew nuts and coriander, if desired. Naan for dunking highly recommended!

Notes

1. Ghee – A type of clarified butter used in Indian cooking, tastes like butter on steroids! Fairly readily available these days in the Indian section of large grocery stores, Indian and Asian shops. Substitute with unsalted butter, or coconut oil (unrefined/virgin which has lovely coconut flavour).

2. Lamb shoulder is the best because it becomes meltingly tender with hours of slow cooking to break down the tough fibres. No other cut of lamb will produce the same results (see Ingredients section for commentary). Cut large cubes else they will cook too quickly, before the sauce has had sufficient time to develop flavour. PS I know 800g/1.6 lb lamb sounds like a lot for 4 servings, but it shrinks a lot! 

Other meat – Beef chuck or boneless ribs, or pork shoulder, follow recipe as written, though note that korma is most commonly made with lamb.

3. Garam masala is a spice mix used in Indian cooking that is easily found these days in the spice aisle of large grocery stores. Think of it as the better curry powder! If you can’t find it, substitute with an Indian curry powder.

4. Kashmiri is a spicy, smoky Indian chilli powder sold at Indian grocery stores and some speciality stores. Substitute with 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika plus 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper.

5. Cardamom – Bundle up and tie to hold the cardamom pods in a bag. Otherwise, just put the loose pods in the curry and pick them out when eating (this really doesn’t bother me, but I know someone people don’t like it!).

6. Avoid low fat! If you go down the low-fat path, you will find that the sauce lacks the creamy mouthfeel and Korma-coconut-flavour. I really recommend sticking to full fat!

7. Sauce thickness – If the sauce is not thick enough, just reduce on the stove before adding the cream and coconut cream. If the lamb is not tender enough, cover and return to the oven in 10 minute increments.

8. Slow cooker, pressure cooker, instant pot method – Need to alter recipe else the sauce lacks flavour because the meat is not browned off and you don’t get surface caramelisation like you do in the oven. Here’s how to do it:

• Reduce chicken stock/broth by 1 cup
• Increase coconut cream and cream to 2/3 cup each, and increase salt by 1/4 tsp.
• Puree cashews with 1/3 cup chicken stock instead of water
• Start on stove or sauté function of instant pot/slow cooker.
• Melt all the ghee OR 1 tbsp plain oil on high heat then brown the surface of the lamb in batches (but still raw inside). Remove. (If you used oil, add butter now). 
• Cook down the onion puree per recipe then follow recipe as written (returning browned lamb into pot) up to step 6.
• Add cashew puree and coconut cream (but not regular cream), bring to simmer. Transfer everything into slow cooker/IP (scrape out pot well!). 
• Cook times – Slow cooker (LOW 8 hrs, HIGH 3 hrs), pressure cooker/IP HIGH 40 min.
• Stir in regular cream. Simmer with lid off if needed to thicken sauce (shouldn’t need, but sometimes lamb drops more juices than expected). Serve!

Storage  – Leftovers will keep for 3 days, though I always feel the spice flavours start fading!

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings. Does not include rice or naan.

Nutrition

Calories: 604cal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 26g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 143mg | Sodium: 1012mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 444IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg

Life of Dozer

This week, we had a photo shoot at Bayview dog beach with Rob, Dozer’s favourite photographer. He can only do these sprints for short bursts these days. So what a treat it was to have it captured – thank you Rob!

Also, Dozer says sorry for spitting sand on the very expensive lenses….

DOZER FOOD CREATION CONTINUES

And in the kitchen, the new senior-citizen Dozer swallow-safe food project continues. I think I’m getting close! Inspired by the soft, slippery, bouncy Asian fish balls, I think I’ve come up with a formula and method to make large quantities of swallow-friendly food that will work with most proteins as well as incorporating fresh vegetables.

Glutinous rice flour seems to be the key, to hold the mixture together without drying it out!

The ability to make big-batch food is important for me because Dozer eats a LOT!! 1 kg / 2 lb a day, to be exact. What you see above is just 2 1/2 days worth of food for him!!

I haven’t forgotten my promises to share the recipe. I just hesitate to share anything before I get fully comfortable with it myself because it’s designed for dogs with medical conditions and I am not a qualified veterinarian or nutritionist for that matter. I shall be caveating heavily when I share the recipe!

Oh, and a snap from this morning on his Digestion Bed on which he perches for 30 minutes after every meal, set on an incline to coax food does his throat. He’s very comfortable on it these days! And why wouldn’t he be? I wouldn’t complain if someone told me I had to lounge on a soft bed after every meal!

And in case you are wondering if Dozer is still able to carry out his important work as the Chief Recipe Tester of RecipeTin Eats – yes he is. He can’t have everything – flaky / crunchy things like croissants and crispy biscuits are too dangerous because little bits are at risk of being inhaled into his lungs = aspiration pneumonia = bad.

But if it can be squished and rolled into a rough ball shape, it’s fine!

Here he is, taste testing pikelets earlier this week. With jam and cream, of course.

Look at the intense concentration and focus in his eyes! (Well, perhaps wild-eyed excitement is a more accurate description 😂).

Thank you, as always, for the messages of concern, support, advice and suggestions you have shared as we’ve moved into Dozer’s senior years and with it, the inevitable problems that come with age.

In all honesty, he is doing so, so well. I truly believe getting back into a routine of good real food has made such a difference to his well being. I think he has more to go and I’m very committed to continuing with his physical therapy and ensuring he gets all the nutrition he needs.

He’s worth it. He’s an important company asset!! 😂

The post Lamb Korma curry appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Lamb Tagine is my pick of all tagines! The ras el hanout spice mix is sheer perfection with lamb, and slow cooking works wonders to develop rich flavours in the sauce. Serve over couscous for a stunning Moroccan meal. Your house will smell amazing!

Lamb Tagine

I’ve done chicken and vegetable tagine. Now it’s time to meet my favourite tagine child: LAMB TAGINE!

Arabic spice mixes and lamb are just a match made in heaven, a combination I’ve not shied away from exploring. Proof: Moroccan backstrap, Harira Soup, Shawarma shoulder, Lamb Shawarma chickpea soup, Moroccan lamb meatballs. (And all my Moroccan recipes here)

Not sure why it’s taken me so long to share the mother of all Moroccan lamb dishes – tagine. This is a stunner. Fork-tender meat, richly spiced sauce, studded with sweet apricots and finished with a good handful of toasted almonds. And the smell when it’s cooking! Swoon….

Heads up – the sauce is thick and richly spiced!

The sauce of this Lamb Tagine is reduced until thick which means intense flavour which I think is essential for lamb which is one of the stronger flavoured proteins. Think of all the spices and lamb juices reduced and concentrated – you know it’s going to be good!

Here’s what it looks like before and after the slow cooking:

Ingredients in Lamb Tagine

Here’s what you need to make Lamb Tagine.

Best lamb for tagine

The best lamb to use for lamb tagine is lamb shoulder. It’s a tough cut of meat that is made for slow cooking that’s marbled with fat so it’s beautifully juicy. Sometimes it is generically sold as “lamb stew meat”.

I personally don’t think there’s any other cut of lamb that works as well. Lamb shank meat would be the next best but you’d need to cut the meat off the bone and the shape of the pieces won’t be as uniform, so some will cook faster than others.

Boneless lamb leg would probably be my next pick but it’s leaner than shoulder so it wouldn’t be as juicy.

Other meat cuts – For non-lamb options, beef chuck, boneless beef ribs, pork shoulder and pork scotch fillet (aka collar butt and pork neck) would work well. For chicken, see my Chicken Tagine recipe, and I’ve also got a Vegetable Tagine (it’s so good!).

Ras el hanout Spice mix for lamb tagine

The spice blend for tagine is called ras el hanout and it’s made with common spices you may already have. You can buy blends but I much prefer to make my own to get the right balance of flavours. Here’s what you need:

I also use ras el hanout for chicken and vegetable tagines but the blend is slightly different. For example, because lamb has a stronger flavour than vegetables, the spice blend is stronger.

The nice thing here is that because we’re using a fair few different spices here, it’s not the end of the world if you’re missing one … or even two. I’ve offered a few switch-out options in the recipe notes!

and everything else for the tagine

And here are the other ingredients you need to make lamb tagine:

• Garlic, onion and ginger – Aromatic flavour base. Don’t skip the ginger!

• Cinnamon sticks – A spice traditionally used in Middle Eastern cooking and makes the flavour so special. You can substituted with a little powder but cinnamon sticks works better. It’s a little more subtle and earthier.

• Chicken stock/broth – The braising liquid. Traditionally water is used, but stock makes it tastier! Note: Chicken stock is used rather than lamb stock because the flavour is “cleaner”. Lamb stock is not sold at grocery stores, and there’s a reason for that – because it’s very…well, lamb! We get enough lamb flavour in this sauce from the lamb pieces.

• Dried apricots – Some versions of tagine are made with olives, others use dried fruit, others still may use both. I’ve opted for fruit because tagines are one of the few dishes I love that pairs fruit with meat! I also think the orange colour of the apricots looks lovely in the sauce.

  However, the recipe includes the olive option too.

• Tomato paste – This is what is used to thicken the sauce and add a touch of flavour. We don’t use enough to make it tomatoey, it’s very subtle.

• Lemon – Some tagines use preserved lemon (like in my chicken tagine) but for lamb, fresh lemon zest is beautiful. Also – cheaper. 🙂

• Slivered almonds and coriander/cilantro – Garnish for serving. A good amount of both works!

How to make Lamb Tagine

Very straight forward – brown the lamb, sauté aromatics, plonk everything in then slow cook for 1 hour 45 minutes until the lamb is fall-apart tender!

1. Brown lamb – Cut the lamb into large 3.5cm / 1.5″ cubes so they don’t become fall-apart tender too quickly. Cooking long and slow = more flavour in the sauce and it needs the time to reduce and thicken!

   Toss the lamb in salt and pepper, brown in three batches (don’t crowd the pot else the lamb will stew instead of brown) then remove into a bowl.

   Use a large oven-proof pot with a lid, so it can go from the stove to oven. My dutch oven pictured is 24cm / 9.5″ wide.

2. Sauté aromatics – Cook the garlic and onion first, then the tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spices. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly, to cook out the raw flavour of the tomato paste and toast the spices which brings out the flavour.

3. Braising liquid and lamb – Add the chicken stock, water and lamb, then bring it to a simmer.

4. First cook 45 minutes – Put the lid on and transfer to a 180°F/350°F (160°C fan-forced) oven for 45 minutes.

5. Add apricots then stir them in. We add them in partway through else they get too soft.

6. Cook another 1 hour – Put the lid on then return the tagine to the oven for a further 1 hour, or until the lamb pieces are fork tender.

7. Thick and full of flavour – Here’s what the lamb tagine looks like after 1 hour 45 minutes of slow cooking. The sauce has reduced down to a thick consistency, rich with spicing and a beautiful depth of flavour you can only achieve from slow cooking.

8. Serve over couscous. I just use plain couscous for this tagine because it’s got so much flavour in it, rather than one with fruit and nuts in it.

That close up photo above does me every time, remembering the richness of the flavour of the sauce and how tender that lamb is. Tender, but not mushy, we’re not making baby food here.

The dried apricot adds beautiful pops of sweetness as well as sweetening the sauce a touch.

And finishing with fresh lemon zest is just sheer perfection. Please don’t skip that! – Nagi x

PS Also don’t skip the good handful of toasted almonds for serving, it’s also the perfect finishing touch!

Watch how to make it

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Lamb tagine

Recipe video above. My favourite of all tagines! The ras el hanout spice mix is sheer perfection with lamb, and slow cooking works wonders to develop rich flavours in the sauce and make the lamb fork tender. Serve over couscous for a stunning Moroccan meal. Your house will smell amazing!

-> Also see Chicken and Vegetable Tagine.

Course Mains

Cuisine Moroccan, North African

Keyword lamb tagine

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 2 hours hours

Total Time 2 hours hours 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5 people

Calories 442cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Use one of these lambs (Note 1):

• 1.6 kg/ 3.2lb boneless lamb shoulder, trim the fat, then cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes (1kg/2lb after trimming)
• 1 kg / 2 lb lamb stewing meat or shoulder, already trimmed of fat cut in 3.5cm / 1.5" cubes

Tagine:

• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 2 brown onions , diced (1cm / 0.3″ cubes)
• 1 1/2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp grated ginger
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1 cup dried apricots , whole (Note 2 for olives option)
• 2 – 3 tsp lemon zest (just use 1 whole lemon, Note 3 for preserved lemon)

Ras el hanout (Note 4):

• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 tsp fennel powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper (can reduce for less spicy – Note 4)
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

For serving:

• 1/2 cup slivered almonds , toasted (Note 5)
• 1/2 cup coriander/cilantro leaves roughly chopped
• 1 1/2 batches couscous (I just use plain, but you can add the fruit and nuts if you want)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°F/350°F (160°C fan). (Note 6 re: other cook methods)
• Spice mix – Mix the ingredients in a bowl then set aside.
• Brown lamb – Toss lamb with the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof dutch oven (with a lid) over high heat. Brown the lamb in 3 batches, turning to colour the pieces all over, about 3 minutes. Remove into a bowl, then repeat with remaining lamb. Set aside.
• Aromatics – Turn heat down to medium high. Add onion and garlic, cook for 3 minutes until soft. Add tomato paste, ginger, cinnamon and spice mix. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Sauce – Add chicken stock and water, stir, then return the lamb into the pot.
• Slow cook 1 hr 45 min – Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid then cook in the oven for 45 minutes. Add apricots, put the lid back on and cook for another 1 hour, checking halfway to ensure the sauce hasn't reduced all the way (if you're concerned, add 1/2 cup water).
• Lemon finish – Lamb should be tender – check! Gently stir in lemon zest.
• Serve over plain couscous, sprinkled with almonds and coriander.

Notes

1. Lamb shoulder is a tough cut of meat that needs to be slow cooked to become tender. Ultra juicy, it’s one of my favourite lamb cuts! But it’s FATTY. You will need to get a 1.6kg / 3.2lb boneless piece to end up with 1kg / 2lb for cooking after trimming fat.

Or, use 1 kg/2 lb lamb stewing meat or lamb shoulder that’s already trimmed. Try not to use pre-cut because the pieces are usually too small and become fall-apart too quickly, before the sauce reduces enough & develops flavour.

Other suitable meats – Lamb shanks meat, could also be used (1 kg/2lb exc bone), or beef chuck. See here for chicken tagine and here for vegetable tagine.

2. Dates are also commonly used so feel free to substitute. I like the sweetness and colour of apricots with lamb.

Olives is also used in tagines – if you prefer olives to dried fruit, use 1 heaped cup of green olives.

3.Lemon zest v preserved lemon which is often traditionally used in tagines (lemon pickled salt) which I use for chicken tagine. For lamb, I actually prefer lemon zest which is fresher I think works well with lamb which is richer than chicken. But you can use preserved lemon if you prefer, same amount, zest only (not flesh or pith), follow directions in chicken tagine for how to prep.

4. Ras el hanout – the traditional spice mix used for tagines. You won’t be left lacking if you are missing a spice (maybe even two), just make up for it by dialling up the ones you have.

Spiciness – It’s not spicy but has an unmissable warm hum, the cayenne can be reduced or omitted.

5. Toast slivered almonds– heat small pan over medium high heat (no oil) then toss almonds for two minutes until light golden. Remove and set aside.

6. Tagine is best cooked in the oven. Sauce is thick is risky on stove, the regular stirring required causes meat to fall apart into sauce. Slow cooker doesn’t allow for liquid evaporation so sauce doesn’t reduce, also you don’t get caramelisation on the surface/edges that adds flavour. See blue box in the post for more info!

7. Sauce reduction – The sauce of this tagine is meant to be thick, this concentrates the flavour and is what makes this tagine so good!. However, a reader reported the sauce reduced too much in the bake time – possibly could happen if lid is not heavy (evaporation), or oven runs hot. As a safeguard, I increased the stock liquid slightly, and call for a check halfway through to ensure there’s still enough liquid. 

8. Storage – 4 days in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. If making for company, can highly recommend making it the day before as it will develop more flavour overnight. Reheat in the oven only (150C/300F – 130C fan). Stove is too risky, re: burnt base.

Nutrition per serving excluding couscous.

Nutrition

Calories: 442cal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 860mg | Potassium: 1040mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 1199IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5mg

More Moroccan stunners!

Chicken Tagine

Moroccan Harira Soup With Lamb

Vegetable Tagine

Couscous

Moroccan Lamb Meatballs

Moroccan lamb backstrap

Moroccan lamb backstrap

Easy Moroccan Stuffed Eggplant (beef or lamb)

Moroccan

Life of Dozer

Dozer and I spent the weekend in Mudgee, a regional NSW town 3 1/2 hours from Sydney. We went for the local Readers’ Festival and dropped by the local book store (Book Nest Mudgee) as well as doing a lunch talk at a beautiful restaurant on a working farm called Blue Wren.

There was a professional photographer there so I was going to hold off until I could share those – because the venue was so stunning, everyone was frocked up, the food and wine was incredible, it was just perfection, so I want to share nice photos that do it justice! But I can’t resist sharing a few behind the scenes pics…

1. Having a serious talk with Dozer before the doors opened about not stealing food from the table:

2. At the end of the lunch, a photo with the incredible Blue Wren Farm team. And Dozer, after 5 hours of photos with lunch guests, was completely done. 😂 What a brat!!!

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