Lamb Kefta & Egg Tagine

Name: Lamb Kefta & Egg Tagine
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Moroccan
Ingredients: 450g lamb mince; ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil; 1 red onion, cut into large dice; 1 red capsicum, cut into large dice; Salt flakes, to taste; 400g Italian canned tomatoes, crushed; ½ cup water; 1 preserved lemon, rinsed, skin only finely sliced; 10 large green olives, flesh sliced into thin strips; 4 eggs; Steamed basmati rice or instant couscous, for serving; CHERMOULA; 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves; ½ cup coriander leaves; 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon ground cumin; ½ tablespoon sweet smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon salt flakes; ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper; 1 tablespoons lemon juice; ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

My lamb kefta and egg tagine recipe is inspired by a dish from Moroccan chef Hassan M’Souli who served a his version at Manly restaurant Out of Africa. I love eggs and I love the way this dish looks with them cooking in the sauce as it arrives at the table. A mainstay of Moroccan cooking, tagines are both a finished dish and the cooking vessel in which the food is prepared and served; you could use a large frying pan with a lid as an alternative. While couscous or flatbread is traditional, I like to serve my tagine with steamed basmati rice (burghul with vermicelli is great too – see video below). I also like yoghurt and harissa (Moroccan chilli paste) on the side, plus a glass or two of Tahbilk Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre – I find the spice and fruit in this wine work wonderfully with the tagine’s flavours.

Serves 4

Ingredients

450g lamb mince
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 red onion, cut into large dice
1 red capsicum, cut into large dice
Salt flakes, to taste
400g Italian canned tomatoes, chopped
½ cup water
1 preserved lemon, rinsed, skin only finely sliced
10 large green olives, flesh sliced into thin strips
4 eggs
Steamed basmati rice or instant couscous,
for serving

Chermoula

1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves
½ cup coriander leaves
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground cumin
½ tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt flakes
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoons lemon juice
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

Method

Make Chermoula: combine all Ingredients in a food processor to form a smooth paste. Set aside.
Mix 2 tablespoons of the Chermoula into the mince and form 12 meatballs. Set aside.
Heat oil in a tagine or large frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion, capsicum and salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly coloured.
Remove from pan and set aside, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
Add meatballs and cook for about 5 minutes, turning them to colour on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside, leaving as much oil as possible in the pan.
Return onion mixture to the pan, stir in tomato, water and remaining Chermoula and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir preserved lemon and olives into the sauce and return meatballs to the pan.
Turn to coat in sauce, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, checking occasionally to ensure they aren’t sticking and adding a tablespoon of water at a time if it starts to get too dry.
Arrange meatballs to create 4 separate ‘compartments’ and break an egg into each one. Spoon sauce over to submerge them as much as possible, increase heat to medium-high, cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, until eggs are just set.
Serve with rice or couscous.