Ingredients

• 1 tsp ras-el-hanout
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ tsp ground turmeric
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1kg/2lb 3oz lamb neck fillet
• cut into large chunks
• 1 onion
• thickly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic
• peeled
• finely chopped
• 1 x 400g/14oz tin chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses (available from Middle Eastern grocers and some supermarkets)
• ½ tsp saffron
• 350ml/12fl oz chicken stock
• 125g/4½oz stoneless dried apricots
• halved
• 110g/4oz green olives
• stones removed
• 75g/2½oz whole almonds
• 1 small bunch fresh coriander
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 175g/6oz bulgar wheat
• 700ml/1 pint 5fl oz chicken stock
• 2 small red onions
• peeled
• finely chopped
• 300g/10½oz pistachio nuts
• shells removed
• roughly chopped
• 1 lemon
• juice only
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 5 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
• 5 tbsp chopped fresh coriander leaves
• 5 tbsp chopped fresh mint
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

• For the lamb tagine
• mix the ras-el-hanout
• ground cinnamon
• ground ginger
• smoked sweet paprika
• ground cumin
• freshly ground black pepper and ground turmeric together in a bowl. Add the lamb neck fillet pieces and turn in the mixture to evenly coat.
• Heat a large pan until smoking
• then add a tablespoon of the olive oil and sear the neck fillet pieces on all sides for 2-3 minutes
• or until golden-brown all over. Remove the lamb pieces from the pan and set aside
• Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan and fry the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened. Add the lamb pieces back to the pan and stir well
• then add all of the remaining tagine ingredients except for the coriander and salt and freshly ground black pepper and bring to a simmer.
• Chop the coriander
• reserving the leaves for later
• and add the stalks to the pan. Reduce the heat
• cover the pan with a lid and allow to simmer for one hour and 30 minutes
• or until the lamb is tender.
• Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes
• or until the tagine is slightly thickened. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Meanwhile
• for the tabbouleh
• place the bulgar wheat into a pan with the chicken stock
• bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 15-20 minutes over a low heat. When the bulgar wheat is tender
• drain off the excess stock.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly
• then transfer the bulgar wheat to a bowl. Add the red onion
• pistachios
• lemon juice
• olive oil and herbs and mix well. Season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• To serve
• divide the tabbouleh among four serving plates
• then spoon the lamb neck fillet tagine alongside. Chop the reserved coriander leaves and sprinkle over the tagine.