Venison, Chickpea & Pumpkin Tagine

This tagine can be either made on the hob or in a slow-cooker. The venison can be swapped for beef if you prefer, and the pumpkin can be replaced with butternut squash. The apricots give sweetness, balancing out the spices and the flaked almonds add texture. You do need to allow time for this dish to cook, so that the pumpkin breaks down and becomes soft and absorbs all the flavour. This is why it is best to use a slightly fattier cut of meat so that it doesn’t become dry. If you are making it in the slow-cooker, prepare it in the morning and leave it on low all day. You can either prepare the couscous separately or add it to the tagine with around 10 minutes left to cook. If you do it this way you will need to ensure there is still enough fluid in the tagine for the couscous to swell up. Its a warming, filling meal, perfect on cold, miserable, autumnal days.

Print Recipe

Venison, Chickpea & Pumpkin Tagine

Keyword

Almond, Apricot, Chickpeas, Couscous, Pumpkin, Venison

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 tsp rapeseed oil
• 1 onion
• 300 g pumpkin approx.
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 piece fresh ginger
• 1 chilli
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves or 2 whole ones
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 small handful coriander
• 350 g diced venison approx.
• 1/2 tin chickpeas
• 300 ml beef stock
• 50 g dried apricots
• 110 g couscous
• 30 g flaked almonds

Keyword Almond, Apricot, Chickpeas, Couscous, Pumpkin, Venison Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 1 tsp rapeseed oil 1 onion 300 g pumpkin approx. 1 clove garlic 1 piece fresh ginger 1 chilli 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp ground coriander 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves or 2 whole ones 1/2 tsp ground black pepper 1 pinch saffron threads 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 small handful coriander 350 g diced venison approx. 1/2 tin chickpeas 300 ml beef stock 50 g dried apricots 110 g couscous 30 g flaked almonds

Instructions

To prepare:

1. Peel and dice the onion.
2. Scrape out the seeds from the pumpkin and slice the flesh away from the skin.
3. Cut the pumpkin flesh in to bite sized pieces.
4. Add the onion and pumpkin to a large lidded pan with the rapeseed oil.
5. Peel and grate the garlic and ginger.
6. Thinly slice the chilli.
7. Make up the stock.
8. Cut the dried apricots in to quarters.
9. Have all the other ingredients to hand.

To cook:

1. Heat the pan over a medium heat and fry the onion and pumpkin for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
2. Add the garlic, chilli and ginger to the pan and continue to fry for a couple more minutes.
3. Sprinkle in all the other spices and continue to fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
4. Add the diced venison to the pan and lower the heat.
5. Pour in the stock, lemon juice, chickpeas and apricots and stir well.
6. Shred the fresh coriander and sprinkle it in.
7. Cover the pan and leave to gently simmer for around 1 hour.
8. With 10 minutes left to cook on the tagine, check the fluid level and if its looking a little dry, add a splash more water.
9. Add the couscous to the pan and return the lid.
10. Heat a small, dry frying pan on the hob and add the flaked almonds. Toast for 2-3 minutes.
11. Once the couscous is cooked, remove the tagine from the heat and serve.
12. To finish the dish, sprinkle over the toasted flaked almonds and enjoy.

Recipe Notes

If you make this, let me know how it goes and share your photos.  I’d also love to hear how you adapt it to suit yourself.