Lamb Tagine with Prunes

ACTIVE: 30 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 20 MIN
SERVINGS: 6

•MAKE-AHEAD

Many meat tagines (slowly simmered Moroccan stews) are cooked with some sort of fruit, like apple, pear, quince or date. The luscious combination of lamb and prunes here produces a slightly sticky but complex sweet sauce that's perfect with steamed couscous or crusty bread.

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1 teaspoon sesame seeds
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds trimmed boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2 1/2-inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved
1 bunch of cilantro, tied in a bundle with kitchen string
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Pinch of saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 1/2 cups water
3 cups pitted prunes (14 ounces), halved
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon orange-flower water (optional)

In a small dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds over moderate heat until golden, 45 seconds. Transfer the seeds to a plate.
In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, combine the oil, lamb, onion, cilantro, cinnamon stick, ginger, saffron, a pinch of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low and cook, skimming the stew a few times, until the lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the onion, cilantro and cinnamon stick and discard. Add the prunes to the casserole and simmer for 15 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the lamb and prunes to a bowl. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat until slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Add the honey and boil for 5 minutes. Return the lamb and prunes to the casserole and stir in the orange-flower water, if using. Season with salt. Transfer the stew to a bowl, sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Make Ahead The lamb tagine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Serve With Couscous or crusty bread.

Suggested Pairing

Prunes and honey give this lamb stew richness and a hint of sweetness, which is best matched by a deeply fruity, thick-textured Cabernet blend, such as one from Lebanon or the Languedoc region of France.

Lamb Tagine with Prunes

Suggested Pairing

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