Ingredients:

  • 4 – 1.8 kg (3–4 lb) Lamb Shoulder Roast, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 5 cm (2 inch) chunks
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil (for searing, if desired)
  • 1 tsp fine Sea Salt
  • ½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
  • 2 tbsp plain All-Purpose Flour (optional, for light coating)
  • 2 medium Yellow Onions, roughly chopped
  • 4 cloves Garlic, minced
  • 1 piece (5 cm / 2 inch) fresh Ginger, peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp Ras el Hanout spice blend
  • 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ground Turmeric
  • ¼ tsp Chili Flakes
  • 400g (14 oz) tin crushed Tomatoes
  • 350 ml (1½ cups) rich Beef Stock (low sodium)
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Purée (paste)
  • 1 large Sweet Potato, peeled and diced into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes
  • 100g (½ cup) dried Apricots, halved
  • 1 can (400g / 15 oz) Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • Juice of 1 small Lemon
  • A generous handful of fresh Coriander and/or Parsley, roughly chopped (for garnish)
  • 30g (¼ cup) flaked or slivered Almonds, toasted (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the Lamb: Pat the lamb pieces dry with kitchen paper. Season generously with salt and pepper. Toss lightly with the flour (if using) to help thicken the final sauce slightly.
  2. Sear (Recommended but Optional): Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the lamb pieces until deeply browned on all sides (about 2–3 minutes per batch). Transfer the seared lamb to the slow cooker bowl.
  3. Sauté Aromatics: Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onions to the skillet. Sauté until softened, scraping up any delicious brown bits (fond) from the pan. Add the minced garlic, grated ginger, Ras el Hanout, cinnamon, turmeric, and chili flakes. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Build the Sauce: Stir the tomato purée into the spice mixture, cooking for 30 seconds. Pour in the beef stock and crushed tomatoes, stirring well to combine. Bring the mixture just to a gentle simmer.
  5. Assemble the Crockpot: Pour the entire sauce mixture over the seared lamb in the slow cooker. Add the diced sweet potato and the halved dried apricots. Stir everything gently to ensure the lamb is mostly submerged in the liquid.
  6. Cook: Cover the slow cooker. Cook on the LOW setting for 7–8 hours, or on the HIGH setting for 3.5–4 hours. The lamb is ready when it is completely fork-tender and shreds easily.
  7. Add Chickpeas and Finish: 30 minutes before serving, stir in the drained and rinsed chickpeas. If the stew is too watery, you may remove the lid for the final 30 minutes to allow some steam to escape or thicken the sauce slightly using a cornflour slurry.
  8. Final Seasoning and Serve: Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning with extra salt and pepper if required. Ladle the tagine into bowls, garnishing generously with fresh coriander/parsley and toasted almonds.