Lamb Tagine with Macadamia Gremolata

Lamb Tagine with Macadamia Gremolata

This tagine is sensational. Slow cooked lamb is served with saffron flavoured couscous and a fabulous Moroccan-style gremolata of macadamias, preserved lemon and mint. The perfect nourishing dish for a cold winter's night!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Lamb marinade

1 large purple onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, crushed

1 whole bunch coriander, roots removed, rinsed

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

Tagine

1.5kg diced leg or shoulder lamb pieces

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 can tomatoes

600ml water

1 cinnamon quill

8 dates, seeds removed

½ cup pitted green olives

pinch of saffron

2 cups couscous

30g butter

1 teaspoon salt

Macadamia gremolata

¼ cup chopped preserved lemon

1 cup macadamias, finely chopped and roasted

¼ cup loosely packed mint leaves

Method

To make the lamb marinade, place onion, garlic, coriander leaves and spices in the bowl of a food processor and process to form a paste.

Place the lamb in a non-corrosive bowl. Spread the marinade over the lamb, cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 3 hours.

To make the lamb tagine, preheat oven to 150°C. Heat the oil over high heat in the base of a large casserole dish that has a lid. Add the lamb, and brown on each side. Reduce heat to medium and add the tomato paste, canned tomatoes, water and cinnamon. Bring the mixture to a steady simmer, cover with the lid, place in the oven and cook for 1¼ hours. Add the dates and olives and cook for a further 30 minutes.

When almost ready to serve, place the saffron in a small bowl and pour over 2 tablespoons boiling water. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.

Place the couscous in a separate bowl with the butter and salt. Pour over 2 cups of boiling water, add the soaked saffron with its water and cover immediately. Stand for at least 10 minutes before removing the cover and fluffing with a fork.

To make the macadamia gremolata, combine all ingredients and sprinkle generously over the lamb.

Home-grown winter warmers: Snuggle up with these hearty dishes with an Aussie macadamia twist!

These hearty winter recipes from Australian macadamias are sure to make you feel cosy. Whether it's a sticky beef ribs concoction that takes your fancy, or a spiced lamb tagine, this is delicious, winter comfort food at its best.

With versatility that adds taste and texture to any dish, macadamias are a wholesome choice that offer the added health benefit of containing the highest amount of good fats of any nut. Stay warm everyone!