A Journey Along The Spice Route — Slow Cooked Lamb Tagine

Greetings VinoVossers! Fall has to be one of the best seasons for food. As the weather and the leaves turn, so does the wheel of seasonal ingredients, and our own desires. It is the season of family gatherings, the start of the holiday season, bringing with it the joys of comfort food. Lamb tagine with its combination of heady aromatic spices and meltingly tender, slow-cooked meat makes for a perfect evening in.

Fall is a time for food, family, and perfect wine and food pairings

(Photo by Ricardo Gomez Angel onUnsplash)

Ingredients

  2 tsp Ras el Hanout Spice Mix

  2 tsp Salt Flakes

  ¾ tsp Ground Black Pepper

  ¾ tsp Fresh or Ground Ginger

  1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

  1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)

  3 Cups Water

  3 lbs (1.4 Kg) Lamb Shoulder or Lamb Neck (Cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) cubes

  1 Large White Onion (Diced)

  3 Cloves of Garlic (Finely Chopped)

  2 Quills of Cinnamon

  ¼ Cup of Unsalted Butter (Cut into cubes)

  ¼ Cup of Raisins

  ¼ Cup of Blanched Almonds (Sliced or Whole)

  Butter (For browning the lamb)

  Couscous or Rice (Garnish)

A tagine makes the perfect cook-ahead, comfort food for the Fall season

(Photo by CA Creative onUnsplash)

Instructions

• Add 1 Cup of water to a heavy 5 Quart casserole dish
• Add the Ras el Hanout, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and ginger to the water and mix
• Melt the butter in a skillet and brown the lamb
• Add the lamb to the casserole dish
• Add the onion, garlic, cinnamon quills, and 2 Cups of water to the casserole dish
• Bring to a simmer, then cover and continue to simmer for 90 minutes
• Stir the raisins, almonds, ground cinnamon, and honey into the casserole dish
• Cover again and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes
• Uncover and cook for a further 20 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken
• Prepare the Couscous or Rice according to instructions and serve alongside

The bold flavors in lamb tagine need the equally bold Zinfandel or Aglianico to create a perfect wine pairing

(Photo by Ashley Byrd on Unsplash)

Food And Wine Pairing

The bold flavors of this dish need something equally bold and aromatic. From the New World, Californian Zinfandel is well suited to this dish. If you would like to explore something from Europe, an Aglianico from sun-drenched southern Italy is a great match.

Matthew Cocks