Philippa's Recipes - Lamb Tagine

Here is Philippa's main course, easily adapted for Vegetarians (er, leave out the Lamb) and wolfed down by all our guests. This dish can be prepared in advance meaning no stress once your dinner party is underway!

Lamb Tagine



Ingredients
50g Sun Dried Apricots, halved
2tbsp olive oil
about 600g diced leg of lamb
1/2 large onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground cinnamon
400g tin Cherry Tomatoes
150ml Lamb Stock
Pinch saffron threads
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Waitrose Ground Almonds
2 large courgettes, cut into large pieces
1/2 butternut squash, weighing approximately 500g, peeled and diced
2 tomatoes, skinned and quartered
1tsp Harissa
1tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Place the apricots in a bowl and cover with 100ml boiling water. Leave to soak for 2 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Heat 1tbsp of the olive oil in a flameproof casserole and brown the lamb in batches then set aside. Add the remaining oil and the onion and cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and golden. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a further 2 minutes then return the lamb to the casserole.
3. Add the apricots and their soaking liquid, the canned tomatoes and stock. Stir in the saffron, salt and ground almonds. Heat to simmering point, cover and cook in the oven for 1 hour.
4. Add the courgettes, squash, tomatoes and harissa with a little extra water if necessary and cook in the oven for a further 45 minutes.
5. Season to taste adding extra harissa if desired, then stir in the parsley and serve with couscous.

(For the vegetarian version, replace the meat with sweet potato, aubergine and extra butternut squash)

Introducing...

..our first batch of Fun Diners!

First to host is Philippa, she's a sophisticated lady who works for a TV Channel and has renowned musical taste. She has only watched the real CDWM a handful of times but is confident in the kitchen and has a well stocked cupboard of baking paraphernalia. She's sure to set the bar high.

Next is our only male specimen, Rhydian, who confesses to not being the best cook but is always the life of the party (not to mention the afterparty) and so hopes atmosphere and entertainment will pull him through.

Leonie is a talented freelance journalist and has a well documented love for cheese in all it's forms. Being a vegetarian she has the mostly meat-eating group cooking outside their comfort zones. Another legendary party person, will her night come out tops even for the carnivores?

Nadia is our next guest; one of London's top DJs and a well known Sunday roast enthusiast, Nadia can throw a banging party but what about a dinner party where conversation comes before choons? She is in it to win it as well as for a good time.

And bringing up the rear is Gabriela, an aspiring actress and theatre lover, this native New Yorker is a pesky pescatarian, eating fish and seafood but no meat. Will her stateside-style portion sizes have her guests beaten?

Follow the five evenings right here as the contestants take it in turns to throw the most imaginative and entertaining dinner party, impress all the guests and get top marks becoming the first Fun Dine With Me champion!

The scores won't be posted until all the dinners are over to keep our hosts in suspense but feel free to comment and share your views on the menus and the reports as they are posted over the next few weeks!