Apricot Tagine

A little while ago my mum went to Morocco and tried all sorts of things.
Not one to shy away from a challenge, she tried sheep brains, served in the skull, now while this doesn't appeal to me, the tagines that she tried there do.

When she came back she found some goat meat at the farm shop where I work and despite having tried all sorts of odd things (squirrel!), goat wasn't one of them... Until today that is..

 

To serve four:

1 tsp of each- ground cumin, ground coriander, turmeric and ground ginger

1/2 tsp of each- smoked paprika and ground chilli/cayenne pepper

Salt and pepper

750g goat meat, cubed (you could use lamb or beefb)

1 finely chopped onion

2 crushed cloves of garlic

1 can of chopped tomatoes

50g chopped dried apricots

1 cinnamon stick (or a dash od cinnamon, like me)

Stock or water

Zest and juice of half a lemon

1 tbsp of honey

First put all of the spices in one bowl and add the meat, mixing well.

 

Heat a little olive oil in a large pan, then add the chopped onion, allowing it to sweat for 1 minute, then add the meat and garlic to brown.

 

When all the goat has browned stir in the chopped tomatoes, apricots and the cinnamon stick.

 

Add just enough stock or water to cover the meat.

 

Bring this to the boil, then reduce it to a slow simmer, leaving it to cook for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Add more liquid if it becomes too dry, but if it becomes too watery, drain off the excess liquid into a saucepan and reduce until thickened then return it to the meat mix.

I served ours with piles of cous cous and a bowlful of spinach and baby leaf salad!