Try this dish during your next camping holiday, or even in the comfort of your own kitchen.
This time of year often lends itself well to camping, whether that’s in a tent or some sort of campervan.
But, as avid campers would know, it’s not often easy to make a good meal when you’re sitting in the middle of a field.
A new cookbook called Camper Van Cooking is seeking to change that with its abundance of recipes to show that eating well while you’re on a camping holiday may not be as tricky as you think.
Take a look at their suggestion for a lamb and date tagine below for some inspiration.
You can also find some more Midweek Meal ideas that you don’t need to venture outside your kitchen to make here.
Recipe from Camper Van Cooking by Claire Thomson & Matt Williamson is published by Quadrille, priced £20. Photography by Sam Folan.
Lamb and date tagine
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 50g butter or 50ml olive oil
- 600g lamb (shoulder is best), cut into 3cm dice
- 1 tsp salt, plus more if needed
- 1 x 400g can of chopped tomatoes
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ tsp chilli flakes, or more to taste
- 2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted and ground
- 2 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and ground
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 small orange or 1 lemon, 2 small strips of zest removed and reserved
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 16 dates, pitted, or 12 dried apricots
- Black pepper
To serve:
- 50g whole almonds, chopped
- Couscous, cooked as per the packet instructions
Method
- Melt half the butter in a small saucepan, then transfer it (or half the olive oil) to a large bowl and mix it together with the lamb, salt, tomatoes, onions, garlic and all of the spices. Cover and leave refrigerated for at least a couple of hours – overnight is ideal.
- To cook, put the marinated meat in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the remaining butter or oil and cook the meat over a moderate-low heat, uncovered, for 20 minutes, stirring from time to time.
- Meanwhile, halve the orange or lemon, squeezing and reserving the juice from one half and reserving the remaining half to cut into wedges later, to serve.
- After 20 minutes, add 400ml of water to the saucepan, along with the honey, orange or lemon zest and the juice, and the dates or apricots.
- Stir to combine and reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer very gently for about one to one and a half hours, or until the meat is melting and tender.
- Check the tagine from time to time to ensure it doesn’t catch, adding a splash more water to the pan if you think it needs it.
- Check the seasoning, adjusting with salt and pepper to taste – you want a heady mix of savoury, sweet and spice, with the lamb and its sauce in perfect balance.
- Refrigerate, or freeze, to take camping.
- To serve, heat the tagine over a moderate heat until piping hot and serve topped with the almonds with couscous and orange or lemon wedges on the side.