One of those dishes that fills the whole house with its aroma. Butter-soft lamb shank that falls apart on your fork, a warm and rich sauce, topped with candied prunes and apricots for just the right sweet contrast. Our meat tagine with prunes mix does the heavy lifting: all the spices in one balanced blend. Most of the time the pot simmers gently, so you don't have to keep an eye on it. Perfect for a family dinner or when you have guests and want to serve something impressive without spending the whole day in the kitchen.

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⏱ Preparation time: ±2h 45min
👥 Servings: 3
🌶 Difficulty: medium
🍽 Category: Tagine / Main course

Ingredients

For the meat

• 1 kg lamb shanks
• 35 g meat tagine with prunes mix
• 10 threads Negin saffron
• 60 ml culinary olive oil
• 800 ml water

For the prunes and apricots

• 250 g prunes
• 150 g dried apricots
• 200 ml water
• 20 g sugar
• 3 g Ceylon cinnamon powder
• A dash of rose water
• 15 g flower honey
• 40 g blanched almonds
• A handful of roasted sesame seeds

Preparation

1. Mix the olive oil with the meat tagine with prunes mix in a bowl.
2. Soak the saffron threads in a little warm water and stir into the oil and spice mixture.
3. Coat the lamb shanks all over with the mixture. Leave to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
4. Briefly sear the lamb shanks in a pot with a splash of olive oil until browned on all sides.
5. Pour in 800 ml water, cover and simmer gently for 2 to 3 hours until the meat is butter-soft. For the last half hour, remove the lid so the sauce can thicken.
6. Meanwhile, put the prunes, apricots, 200 ml water, sugar, Ceylon cinnamon, rose water and honey in a separate pot.
7. Simmer for 15 minutes over low heat until the liquid has reduced and the fruit is glossy. Stir regularly so nothing burns.
8. Toast the almonds in a dry pan for 5 minutes until golden and fragrant.
9. Arrange the lamb shanks on a platter, spoon the prune and apricot mixture over them and finish with the toasted almonds and sesame seeds.

Chef's tip

Want to make it extra festive for guests? Add poached pears alongside the prunes and apricots. Peel and halve them, then simmer them briefly in the same syrup with cinnamon and honey. It adds a refined touch that makes all the difference on the table.

Serving suggestion

Serve with fresh Moroccan bread to mop up the sauce. A glass of fresh mint tea completes the meal.

Ready to cook?

The base of this recipe is our meat tagine with prunes mix. Combine it with our Negin saffron, Ceylon cinnamon, roasted sesame seeds and culinary olive oil and you have everything you need to make this dish at home.

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Enjoy your meal!
— Moroccan Spicy Secrets