Moroccan · Tagines

Lamb Tagine with Pears & Saffron

In Meknes, where orchards ring the city, cooks pair slow-braised lamb with whole poached pears for a tagine that walks the line between savoury and dessert. Saffron and cinnamon perfume the sauce while the pears soak up the meat juices until they turn a deep amber, soft enough to cut with a spoon but never mushy.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 100 min
Total: 120 min
Serves: 4
Level: Medium

Ingredients

900 g lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
2 onions, grated
3 firm pears, peeled and halved lengthways
Generous pinch of saffron threads, bloomed in warm water
1 tsp ground ginger, 1 cinnamon stick, black pepper
2 tbsp honey
50 g butter and 3 tbsp olive oil
50 g toasted almonds, to finish

Method

1

Brown and season

Warm the oil and half the butter in a tagine base, brown the lamb lightly, then add the grated onion, ginger, saffron water, cinnamon stick, pepper and salt.
2

Braise the lamb

Cover with about 400 ml water, bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 70–80 minutes until the lamb is tender, turning occasionally.
3

Poach the pears

Meanwhile melt the remaining butter with the honey in a small pan and gently turn the pear halves in it over low heat for 10 minutes until glazed and just tender, not falling apart.
4

Combine

Nestle the glazed pears into the lamb sauce for the last 15 minutes of cooking so they absorb the meat juices without disintegrating.
5

Reduce

Lift out the lamb and pears if the sauce is thin, and boil it down to a glossy consistency, then return everything to the pot.
6

Serve

Arrange the pears around the lamb, scatter with toasted almonds, and serve with warm bread to mop up the sauce.

Chef's tips

Choose pears that are ripe but still firm — overripe fruit collapses into the sauce instead of holding its shape.
Glaze the pears separately before adding them so they take on colour and flavour without turning to mush in the long lamb braise.
A cinnamon stick rather than ground cinnamon keeps the sauce clear and the spice gentler.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use another fruit instead of pears?

Quince is a very traditional swap and needs a longer poach; apples work too but turn soft faster, so add them even later in the braise.

Why add the pears late?

Pears break down quickly in a hot braise. Poaching them separately first and adding them only at the end keeps their shape and lets them still soak up flavour.