Name: Lamb Tagine
Yield: Serves 4–6
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons olive oil; a bunch of fresh parsley, finely chopped; 8 stoned, ready-to-eat Medjool dates, halved lengthways; 1–2 tablespoons toasted almond butter, or toasted almonds pounded to a paste; 1–2 tablespoons runny honey; 100 ml/3½ fl oz whisky of your choice; 2–3 cinnamon sticks; 2 teaspoons ground turmeric; a nut of butter, or ghee; 4–6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole; 12 shallots, peeled and left whole; 1–2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted; sea salt and freshly ground black pepper; double cream, for drizzling; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 900 g/2 lb lean shoulder or neck of lamb, cut into bitesized pieces; 1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin; 1 teaspoon ground cardamom; 1 teaspoon ground allspice

Preparation info

Serves
4–6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Spirit & Spice

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2019

About

The nutty and fruity notes on the nose and palate of the Macallan 15 and 18 spring to mind when I make this dish. Rather than contrasting it with a smoky spirit, I want to envelop the tender lamb in its rich syrupy cushion of warming cinnamon and velvety dates by extending the long, malty finish. In the Arab and Berber cultures, dates are the ‘bread of the desert’ and they symbolise hospitality and prosperity, so I think the whisky should do this too. The Glenlivet 18, Strathisla 12 and Lon