Cheat's Lamb and Olive Tagine

My Dad grew up in North Africa, and because of that tagine, cous cous and other North African delights make him think of warm summers spent as a child. Not surprisingly when its wet, windy and raining, he's always keen to whip something delicious up for dinner.

I visited home on the weekend and my Dad and I decided it was one of those days when only a tagine would do. Unfortunately as we were stuck at his hotel we didn't have a tagine to cook it in, nor did we have any preserved lemons. This wasn't going to stop my Dad and his awesome cookery skills. Needless to say the final dish was fabulous...

Ingredients (serves 6)

A shoulder of lamb diced (big enough to serve the number of people you're cooking for)

2 sweet peppers

Half a large onion

12 - 18 new potatoes

Half a jar of green pitted olives

1 unwaxed lemon

Garlic

Saffron

Whole coriander seeds

Dried chilli

Olive oil

Lamb stock (or chicken or veg stock)

Coriander leaves

How to

1. Finely chop onion, garlic and chop sweet peppers into large chunks. Soften over a medium heat with olive oil.

2. Add diced lamb to pan.

3. Splosh in about half a pint of stock.

4. Throw in olives, a pinch of saffron, a generous tablespoon or two of whole coriander seeds and a healthy pinch of chilli flakes.

5. Juice the lemon and save the juice for something else. Chop up the juiced lemon into big chunks and throw in the pot.

6. Cover the pot and simmer on a low heat for an hour and a half or so.

7. Add in the new potatoes peeled and cook for another 15-20 mins.

8. Serve with a handful of fresh coriander leaves.

Whilst cooking I was listening to: I'm Yours - Jason Mraz