lidded casserole. Add the lamb leg and fry for 2-3 minutes
turning regularly.
Add the onion
garlic
salt
pepper
ginger
turmeric and saffron and stir well to coat the meat in the spices. Continue to fry for 4-5 minutes
or until the onion has softened and the meat is browned all over.
Tie the bunches of coriander and parsley together using cook's string to make a small bouquet. Place it on top on the meat.
Add the cinnamon sticks and 750ml/1¼ pints water to the tagine
then bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Cover the tagine or casserole with the lid and continue to simmer for 2 hours
turning the pieces of meat after 1 hour and topping up with more water during cooking
as necessary. The tagine is ready when the meat is tender enough to come away easily from the bone when poked with a knife.
Meanwhile
for the garnish
wash the apricots and prunes
then add them to a saucepan of boiling water. Boil for 10 minutes
or until soft.
Drain the water from the saucepan
then add the sugar
ground cinnamon and 4 tablespoons of the cooking liquid from the tagine.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the blanched almonds and fry for 2-3 minutes
shaking the pan during cooking
until golden-brown on both sides. Remove the almonds from the pan using a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper.
Just before serving
reheat the spiced prunes and apricots. Sprinkle a plate with the toasted sesame seeds
then roll the prunes and apricots in the seeds until coated.
To serve
remove the herb bouquet and cinnamon sticks from the tagine and discard. Pile the tagine into bowls and garnish with the fried almonds and sesame-coated prunes and apricots.
