Fish tagine with saffron, honey & preserved lemons

Name: Fish tagine with saffron, honey & preserved lemons
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 400 ml fish stock; Generous pinch saffron threads; 500 g skinless white fish fillets (such as cod), cut into chunks; 250 g pack frozen raw king prawns, defrosted; 1½ tbsp olive oil; 1 onion, chopped; 3 clove/s garlic, finely grated; 1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and chopped; 1½ cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated; 2 tsp ground cumin; 1 tsp ground coriander; ½ cinnamon stick; 600 g plum tomatoes, skins removed, roughly chopped; 1½ tbsp clear honey, plus more to taste, if liked; 40 g raisins; 1 tsp tomato purée; 25 g pack coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped; 2 tbsp ground almonds; 2 preserved lemons, flesh removed and discarded, rind cut into slivers; 1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds, to serve; Squeeze lemon juice, to taste (optional)

Diana Henry's tagine makes the most of quick-cooking fish and comes together with little effort. The base can be made the day before, then add the fish on the day you want to serve it.

5 out of 5 stars(4) Rate this recipe

HealthyLow in saturated fat1 of your 5 a day

Serves6
CourseMain meal
Prepare20 mins
Cook30 mins
Total time50 mins
Plusmarinating

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Ingredients

400ml fish stock
Generous pinch saffron threads
500g skinless white fish fillets (such as cod), cut into chunks
250g pack frozen raw king prawns, defrosted
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 clove/s garlic, finely grated
1 red chilli, halved, deseeded and chopped
1½ cm piece ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ cinnamon stick
600g plum tomatoes, skins removed, roughly chopped
1½ tbsp clear honey, plus more to taste, if liked
40g raisins
1 tsp tomato purée
½ x 25g pack coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves roughly chopped
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 preserved lemons, flesh removed and discarded, rind cut into slivers
1 tbsp toasted flaked almonds, to serve
Squeeze lemon juice, to taste (optional)

For the marinade

2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 clove/s garlic, finely grated
¼ x 25g pack coriander, leaves chopped
1 lemon, juice of ½

Method

Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan, then crumble the saffron into it and take it off the heat. Stir and set aside, so the saffron can flavour and colour it. Blot the fish and the prawns dry with kitchen paper. Put everything for the marinade in a bowl and add the fish and prawns. Turn it all over with your hands, then cover and chill for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, wide frying or sauté pan big enough to cook the tagine in. Add the onion and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until soft and golden, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, chilli, ginger, cumin, coriander and cinnamon stick. Stir these around for a couple of minutes, or until you can smell the fragrance of the spices.
Stir in the tomatoes, coat in the spices and cook over a medium heat, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes, until you are left with a thick purée. Add the honey, raisins and tomato purée. Season. Stir in the coriander stalks and the saffron stock. Stir and bring to the boil. Reduce until the sauce is thicker and has reduced by about ½, about 5-10 minutes.
Add the ground almonds. Taste and season. Turn the heat down to low. Season the fish and add it, along with the marinade, to the tomato sauce. Cook gently for 3-4 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily, and the prawns are pink, opaque and cooked through. Be careful not to overcook the fish. Carefully stir in the preserved lemon. Taste for sweetsour balance and seasoning. You might want to add a tiny bit more honey, lemon juice or salt. Scatter the coriander leaves and flaked almonds on top. Serve with couscous or flatbread, if liked, and the cucumber salad (below).