A lighter take on a traditional Moroccan tagine, this mildly-spiced braise is warming, aromatic and deeply comforting. Served with cauliflower ‘rice’, it’s perfect for supper on a chilly winter’s evening. If you’re cooking for breast cancer patients, red meat doesn’t have to be off the menu completely, just eat it moderately.
Serves 4
2 tsp olive oil
560g lean beef stewing steak, cut into 2.5cm cubes
6 tbsp water
1 large onion, peeled and roughly sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp ground cumin
A pinch of saffron strands
650ml hot low-salt beef stock
75g Medjool dates, pitted and sliced in half
400g can chickpeas, drained
1 medium cauliflower
A small handful each of coriander and parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/120°C/Gas 1.
2. Heat 1 tsp of the olive oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, brown the cubes of meat, turning occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until well coloured all over; you may need to do this in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan.
3. Transfer the beef to a casserole dish (or tagine). Add 3 tbsp of the water to the frying pan and swirl it around, scraping up any meaty residue. Pour this deglazing liquor into the casserole.
4. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan. Once hot, fry the onion slices for 2-3 minutes, turning every so often, until golden. Add the garlic, ginger, cinnamon, cumin and saffron to the pan and fry for a further minute or so, until fragrant. Scrape the onion and spice mixture into the casserole, then deglaze the pan again with the remaining 3 tbsp water.
5. Pour over the stock, ensuring the meat is just covered, adding a little more if necessary. Stir in the dates, then cover the casserole with a lid and transfer to the oven. Braise for 1 hour, then take out the casserole and stir in the chickpeas. Return to the oven for a further 1ó hours or until the meat is tender.
6. To make the cauliflower ‘rice’, cut the cauliflower into florets and steam for 2-3 minutes, until just tender. Allow to steam-dry off the heat, then tip into a food processor and pulse to break up into rice-like ‘grains’ (alternatively you can coarsely grate the cauli).
7. Serve the beef with the cauliflower ‘rice’, topped with a scattering of coriander and with lemon wedges on the side.