Pear and Pomegranate Lamb Tagine

by SpiceRouteCooks
Prep: 20m
Cook: 6h
lamb
Pear and Pomegranate Lamb Tagine - Image

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Ingredients
Servings:4
2 1/2lblamb shanks
2pears
3cupshallots
1/2cuporange juice
1/2cuppomegranate juice
1tbsphoney
1 1/2tspground cinnamon
1tspsalt
1tspground allspice
1tspground cardamom
1/4cuppomegranate seeds
1/4cupparsley
Nutrition Facts

Per serving

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Instructions
  1. 1

    Layer the tagine

    Place the lamb shanks in a 5- or 6-quart oval slow cooker. Add the finely chopped pears and thinly sliced shallots on top. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the orange juice, 1/4 cup of the pomegranate juice, the honey, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cardamom, then pour it over the lamb.

  1. 2

    Slow cook low and slow

    Cover and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender and pulling from the bone, 6 to 8 hours. This long, gentle braise is the whole idea behind a tagine — it lets the warm spices and fruit melt into the meat.

  2. 3

    Finish and serve

    Move the lamb to a rimmed serving platter and keep it warm. Stir the remaining orange juice and pomegranate juice into the cooking liquid, then spoon that sauce over the lamb. Scatter the fresh pomegranate seeds and minced parsley over the top. Serve over couscous, polenta, or mashed cauliflower.

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Pear and Pomegranate Lamb Tagine

Created by: SpiceRouteCooks

Prep Time: 20m
Cook Time: 6h
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lb lamb shanks
  • 2 pears
  • 3 cup shallots
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate juice
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/4 cup parsley

Instructions

  1. Layer the taginePlace the lamb shanks in a 5- or 6-quart oval slow cooker. Add the finely chopped pears and thinly sliced shallots on top. In a bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup of the orange juice, 1/4 cup of the pomegranate juice, the honey, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cardamom, then pour it over the lamb.
  2. Slow cook low and slowCover and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender and pulling from the bone, 6 to 8 hours. This long, gentle braise is the whole idea behind a tagine — it lets the warm spices and fruit melt into the meat.
  3. Finish and serveMove the lamb to a rimmed serving platter and keep it warm. Stir the remaining orange juice and pomegranate juice into the cooking liquid, then spoon that sauce over the lamb. Scatter the fresh pomegranate seeds and minced parsley over the top. Serve over couscous, polenta, or mashed cauliflower.

Notes & Tips

The tagine is North Africa's slow-braise workhorse — named for the cone-lidded clay pot it's traditionally cooked in, though a slow cooker gets you the same fall-apart result. What makes this version tick is the interplay of warm sweet spices (cinnamon, allspice, cardamom) with fruit: Moroccan and broader Middle Eastern cooking loves pairing lamb with something sweet-tart, and here pear brings the sweetness while pomegranate keeps it bright and a little sour. Use D'Anjou pears if you can find them, and don't skip the fresh pomegranate seeds at the end — that pop of tartness is what stops the whole thing from tasting too sweet. Spoon it over couscous to catch every bit of the sauce.