Lamb and Prune Tagine

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Main courses

27 June, 2025

6-8
1-2 hours to marinate
2 hours
easy

Every student who completes a Prue Leith qualification will recognise this beloved recipe — a staple in our stewing lessons. It’s the perfect dish to demonstrate this cooking method, celebrate the rich flavours of our continent, and explore the power of spices and the transformative magic of marination. Most importantly, it’s hearty, comforting winter food — and ideal for preparing in advance when feeding a crowd.

Ingredients

1.5kg Lamb shoulder, cubed
50ml Olive oil
1 Large onion, finely grated
3 Cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
5ml Salt
Large pinch of hot paprika
Large pinch of cumin powder
Large pinch of ginger powder
1g Saffron stamens, crushed
30ml Honey
800g Tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
50g Butter
Pinch of dried chilli flakes, crushed
15ml Olive oil
250g Dried prunes soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
30ml Honey
1 Strip orange zest
5g (2) Short cinnamon sticks
15g Fresh coriander, chopped
110g Blanched, whole almonds sautéed in 10g butter until golden

Method

Preheat the oven to 150˚C.
Trim excess fat and sinew off the lamb shoulder and cut it into cubes.
Combine the onions, garlic, olive oil, salt, paprika, cumin, ginger and saffron in a bowl to create a marinade.
Rub the spice mix well onto the lamb cubes, cover and leave them to marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge.
Combine 30ml of honey with the tomatoes, butter and chilli. Heat a large stock pot and cook the mixture gently over low heat, and simmer down to a thick sauce. Be careful not to burn the tomatoes.
Heat 15ml of olive oil in a large pot and brown the meat in batches.
Spoon the tomato and honey mixture over the meat and bring to a boil. Add a little bit of water to the pot if needed and reduce the heat to a simmer.
Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the preheated oven, and allow to cook for about 2 hours, until the meat is tender.
Add the strip of orange zest, the remainder of the honey, cinnamon and prunes to the lamb and mix well and return to the oven for a further 15 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and skim the excess fat that may have accumulated on the surface.
Garnish with the chopped coriander and toasted almonds.