This is a traditional Moroccan dish. Our version is mildly flavoured so not overpowering for younger children. The sauce is quite thick, making this is a wonderfully comforting dish, ideally served with boiled rice and green vegetables or salad leaves. Lamb is often expensive but by using a cheaper cut like neck fillet you get loads of flavour. It is essential that you give this dish a long, slow cook so that the meat becomes really tender to the point that it just melts in the mouth. This is always a popular option with Isabelle and Zara.
Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours
- ½ tablespoon olive oil 450g lamb neck fillet
- chopped into chunks 1 large onion
- chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 150g (or a good handful) dried apricots,cut in half 30g raisins
- 1 tablespoon runny honey 350ml water
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/Gas mark 4.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based, ovenproof pan or casserole over a medium to high heat and brown the meat. Cook in batches if necessary. You are looking for a little colour on all the pieces of meat and this will take a good few minutes without moving the meat about too much in the pan.
- Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it has begun to soften. Add the garlic and spices and stir for a further minute.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, chickpeas, apricots, raisins, honey and water. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1½ –2 hours until the lamb becomes lovely and tender.
- Stir occasionally during the cooking process and if it looks like a lot of the juice has evaporated, add a little more water if needed. You are looking for the initial liquid to be reduced by about half to make a lovely thick sauce. Season to taste.
If you are not allergic this dish also goes well with wholemeal couscous.
This dish is easy to freeze.
From The Allergy-Free Family Cookbook: 100 delicious recipes free from dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soya, gluten, sesame and shellfish by Fiona Heggie and Ellie Lux.
Follow this link to buy it.
**Always check the ingredients of any food you’re cooking with to make sure it doesn’t contain something you or your child should avoid.
