Lamb and Fig Tagine

Nutrition per serve

Ingredients

• 250g butternut pumpkin
• 1pcs onion
• 200g silverbeet
• 2clov garlic
• 1pcs beef-style stock cubes
• 300g diced lamb
• 60g diced dried figs
• 50g tomato paste
• 15g Moroccan seasoning
• 20g pistachios
• 1pcs lemon
• 150g couscous
• 1bunch mint
• 5g ground sumac
• 575ml boiling water + extra 125ml (½ cup) if using oven method
• 15ml plain flour
• 10ml olive oil
• 20g butter

Method

1. Step 1 — Prep ingredients
   This recipe can be cooked in either a slow cooker or oven. Turn the electric slow cooker to low or preheat oven to 150C, fan-forced. Cut unpeeled pumpkin into 10cm chunks. Coarsely chop onion and silverbeet, keeping stems and leaves separate. Crush or finely chop garlic. Crumble stock cubes into a heatproof jug, add 375ml (1½ cups) boiling water and stir to dissolve.
2. Step 2 — Brown lamb
   Put 1 tbs flour in a large bowl and season with pepper. Dust the lamb in the seasoned flour, then shake off the excess and reserve the remaining flour. Heat 2 tsp olive oil in a medium frypan over high heat. Cook the lamb, turning regularly, for 3-4 mins until well browned. Transfer lamb to the slow cooker. (If using the oven method, transfer the lamb to a medium ovenproof dish.)
3. Step 3 — Slow cook lamb
   Add the pumpkin, onion, silverbeet stems, garlic, figs, tomato paste, Moroccan seasoning, stock and reserved flour to the lamb and stir to combine. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours 40 mins. (If using the oven method, add an extra 125ml (½ cup) boiling water to the dish. Cover and bake for 2 hours 10 mins.)
4. Step 4 — Add silverbeet leaves
   Stir the silverbeet leaves into the lamb mixture. Cook, covered, for a further 20 mins or until the lamb is very tender. (If using the oven method, bake, covered, for a further 20 mins or until the lamb is very tender.)
5. Step 5 — Soak couscous
   About 10 mins before serving, finely chop the pistachios. Finely grate ½ tsp lemon zest, then juice half the lemon*. Put the lemon zest, couscous and 20g butter in a large heatproof bowl, pour over 200ml boiling water and cover with a plate. Stand for 5 mins or until the water is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, then fluff couscous with a fork.
6. Step 6 — Get ready to serve
   Pick the mint leaves, discarding the stems. Finely chop half the mint leaves. Stir the chopped mint and half the pistachios into couscous. Add 2 tsp lemon juice* to the lamb tagine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Divide couscous and lamb tagine among bowls. Scatter with mint leaves, remaining pistachios and a large pinch of sumac* to serve.

Allergens

Gluten, Wheat, Milk, Sulphites, Pistachio