Rhubarb & Lamb Tagine-in-a-Wok by Amy Claridge
When in season, glorious faithful rhubarb does seem to be everywhere. Once you’ve made your crumble, jam, fool or you’ve wallowed many times in the delight that is rhubarb and custard, why not try this savoury dish? Cooking meat with fruit (or veg in this case!) is a Moroccan style of cooking. This dish is an example of how we can adapt other cultures’ ways with food to suit our seasons and what grows here.
Method
Put the onion and a little oil in your wok, and cook over a moderate heat to soften the onion. Add the La Kama, and stir to combine. Add the rhubarb and water - don¹t cover the rhubarb with water, but add enough so that most of the rhubarb is in water. Add the sugar. (The rhubarb will release a lot of juice.) Bring to the boil, then turn down to a quick simmer. Add the lamb. Leave to simmer (no lid) until the sauce has thickened, the rhubarb is soft and falling apart and the lamb is cooked through. If the lamb seems to be ready too soon, just spoon it out and set aside and return once the rhubarb is ready and the sauce is thick. If the sauce doesn’t seem to be thickening up, remove the lamb, bring the wok to a boil, and return the lamb to a simmering wok when you feel the consistency is right. This is great with cous-cous. Scatter with chopped herbs if you wish. (You could add some redcurrants to this when in season, add when you add the lamb. You could also scatter toasted pine nuts over the finished dish for texture.)
Ingredients
A glug of olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 level tbsp of La Kama spice blend
2 level tbsps of sugar, caster is ideal
4 fat sticks of rhubarb, chopped into lengths of about 5 cms
A cup of water
Approx 300g-400g of Phipps lamb, ask for a cut suitable for gentle stewing.
Handful of fresh herbs such as Doddington flat leaf parsley or coriander
Serves 2. (Kitchen Garden cooking 28 June 2008.)
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