JC's Gastroblog

Method

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas 3.

Season the flour with a few grindings of pepper and salt in a large polythene bag. Put in the lamb shanks, close the bag and agitate well to dust them all over with the seasoned flour. In a casserole that will just take the lamb comfortably, brown the shanks in a little olive oil over moderate heat. Remove the lamb to a plate.

In the same pan, brown the aubergine adding a little more oil as it gets absorbed. Remove the aubergine and reserve it along with the lamb.

Now put the onions and garlic into the pan and cook these together for about 5 minutes to get them soft and pale golden. Add a little more oil if necessary. Toss in the cinnamon stick, harissa paste and tomato purée, stir and cook for a minute, then add the chopped plum tomatoes (and all the can juices). Stir in about ½ tsp salt and return the lamb and aubergine to the pan. Top up with enough water almost to cover the lamb shanks. Agitate again to mix and bring the pan to simmering point. Cover with a tight fitting lid and braise in the oven for 2 – 2½ hours until the lamb is very tender and almost falling from the bones.

Lift the meat from the pan and simmer the juices on the hob to cocentrate the flavour. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking with salt, pepper and harissa if necessary.

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2.

Mix the flour, coriander, cumin and several grindings of salt and pepper in a large polythene bag. Put in the cubes of lamb and clamp the top keeping as much air in the bag as possible. Now shake the lot to coat the lamb with the seasoned flour. Tip everything out onto a plate reserving the excess flour which will be used later.

Shake excess flour from the lamb pieces before browning them in the olive oil. As they brown, remove them to a tagine (a lidded casserole will do as a substitute). Once all the lamb has browned, add the onion to the same oil and fry over medum heat to soften. Lower the heat and stir in the remaining seasoned flour. Cook this gently for a couple of minutes to develop the flavours. Stirring all the time, add the water, increase the heat a little and bring to the boil. Pour this over the lamb and add the cinnamon stick. Cover and bake in the oven for 1½ hours.

Remove the tagine from the oven and stir in the chick peas and sweet potato dice. Return it to the oven for a further 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the preserved lemon into small chunks (traditionally just the skin of the lemon is used). After the 20 minutes, remove the tagine and stir in the preserved lemon. Return the tagine to the oven for a final 10 minutes to develop the flavour of the preserved lemon.

Serve this with some couscous.

Method

In a heavy based pan large enough to hold hte fish fillets, gently cook the onion until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Stir in the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, preserved lemon and green olives, and cook for a further two minutes. Add the harrisa paste and cook for another minute. Add the wine, fish stock and saffron (if using) and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the fish fillets and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes. Now cover the pan, lower the heat and cook gently for about 7 minutes.

Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper and serve on a bed of cous cous soaked in fish stock. (Soaking cous cous is one of the very few acceptable uses of a stock cube, if absolutely necessary.)

Method

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2.

While the oven is heating, butcher the chicken. Remove the skin and bone from the breasts and legs (just joint the wings). (Make chicken stock from the carcass.) Cut the chicken meat into large-bite-size pieces.

Fill a large polythene bag with the flour, coriander and cumin and add several grindings of salt and pepper. Put the chicken pieces into the bag and clamp the top keeping as much air in the bag as possible. Now shake the lot to coat the chicken with the seasoned flour. Tip everything out onto a plate reserving the excess flour which will be used later.

Shake excess flour from the chicken pieces before browning them in the olive oil. As they brown, remove them to a tagine (a lidded casserole will do as a substitute). Once all the chicken has browned, add the onion to the same oil and fry over medum heat to soften. Lower the heat and stir in the remaining seasoned flour. Cook this gently for a couple of minutes to develop the flavours. Stirring all the time, add the water, increase the heat a little and bring to the boil. Pour this over the chicken and add the cinnamon stick. Cover and bake in the oven for 40 minutes.

Remove the tagine from the oven and stir in the chick peas and sweet potato dice. Return it to the oven for a further 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, chop the preserved lemon (skin only – discard the flesh) into small chunks. After the 25 minutes, remove the tagine and stir in the preserved lemon. Return the tagine to the oven for a final 10 minutes to develop the flavour of the preserved lemon.

Serve this with some couscous.