Lamb Shoulder with Prunes, Tajine-Style

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite recipes. A dish full of flavor, perfect to share with a crowd if possible, and that requires relatively little effort.

Here is my lamb shoulder with prunes, tajine-style.

(Recipe made in my Staub cocotte 33 cm, Oval, White Truffle color, Cast Iron)

This recipe came to me from a craving… Let me explain…

I was hosting some family for a weekend at home and wanted to treat my guests while still having time to spend with them. Meaning: not spending hours in the kitchen, even with eleven people at the table! At the same time, I was craving a lamb and prune tajine. But for eleven guests, my usual recipe was going to take more time than I wanted to give. Dilemma…

Slow cooking, my secret for this lamb shoulder with prunes, tajine-style

So, as I often do, I pulled out my trump card: slow cooking at low temperature! And voilà — the idea for this lamb shoulder with prunes, tajine-style, came to me! I adapted my classic recipe into one that can be made in advance and forgotten in the oven… Aperitif lasting longer than expected? No problem! My tajine-style lamb shoulder with prunes waits patiently without drying out or overcooking.

The steps for making my tajine-style lamb shoulder with prunes, in short

This recipe is really easy: we sear the lamb shoulder in the Dutch oven (or a frying pan) to give it a nice golden color. Then we sauté the onions and vegetables. Add a bit of water, season, and then pop the lamb shoulder with prunes into the oven! As you can see, it doesn’t take much culinary know-how.

Verdict after tasting…

And the result?? Tender meat, beautifully infused with spices, mint, honey… I truly love these dishes that take you on a journey. Bonus: if your guests don’t finish it all (hey, we can dream! 😉 ), the lamb shoulder will taste even better when reheated. I served it simply with couscous. It was perfect.

Tajine-style lamb shoulder with prunes: a versatile recipe

Here, I made this recipe with red kuri squash and zucchini. You can adapt the tajine-style lamb shoulder with prunes to whatever seasonal vegetables you have on hand: butternut squash, carrots, turnips, potatoes, etc.

Feel free to let me know in the comments how you customized your lamb shoulder!

And to switch things up, check out my masala leg of lamb or my slow-cooked lamb shoulder with mint and cumin!

Required utensils:

A Dutch oven (or a large frying pan),
A cutting board,
A good paring knife,
A roasting dish,
And a small ladle.

All set? Let’s get cooking!

The recipe, Cheffe!

Print Recipe

Lamb Shoulder with Prunes, Tajine-Style

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viande – Méditerranéen

Serves: 5-6 Difficulty: Simple Price: €€

Prep Time: 20 min – Cooking Time: 4 heures

Ingredients

• 1 lamb shoulder
• 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 3 small zucchinis
• 1 red kuri squash (or Hokkaido pumpkin)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 handful fresh mint
• Salt
• Pepper
• Turmeric
• Paprika
• Ground ginger
• Ground coriander
• 250 g prunes

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2

Heat the oil in the Dutch oven. Sear the lamb shoulder on each side over high heat.

3

Place it in your roasting dish.

4

Thinly slice the onion and sauté it in the Dutch oven.

5

Add the garlic cloves, then the red kuri squash, peeled and cut into large cubes. Add the zucchinis, cut into chunks.

6

Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes.

7

Add a large glass of water.

8

Pour everything into your roasting dish.

9

Add the spices, salt, pepper, mint, and honey.

10

Arrange the prunes on top.

11

Bake for 30 minutes. Then lower the oven temperature to 150°C and cook for another 30 minutes.

12

After this time, baste the lamb with the cooking juices using a small ladle and adjust the seasoning.

13

Return to the oven at 120°C and cook for another good 3 hours.

14

During cooking, baste regularly with the juices.