Moroccan Lamb and Chickpea Tagine

From the garden

• 1½ cups dried homegrown chickpeas, soaked overnight in plenty of water, then drained
• 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, grated on a box grater, skins discarded
• 3 medium carrots, cut into thick coins
• 1 tsp fresh turmeric, grated (optional) · or 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

From the pantry

• 2½ lb boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch chunks
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 cups beef stock
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 6 pieces warm pita or crusty bread (optional) · for serving
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Pat the lamb dry and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high and brown the lamb in two batches, without crowding, until deeply browned on two sides, about 4 minutes per batch. Move to a plate.
2. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions to the drippings, and cook until soft and golden, 8–10 minutes, scraping the browned bits loose. Stir in the garlic, ginger, cumin, cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, and tomato paste and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Add the grated tomatoes and cook 3 minutes until thickened. Return the lamb and any juices, add the drained chickpeas and the stock, and bring to a simmer. The chickpeas should be just covered; top up with water if needed.
4. Cover and simmer very gently (barely bubbling) for 1 1/4 hours, stirring once or twice. Add the carrots and honey, cover, and simmer 45 minutes more, until the lamb is fork-tender and a chickpea crushes easily between two fingers. Old, dry chickpeas can take an extra 20–30 minutes; keep simmering until they are creamy, not chalky.
5. Uncover and simmer 10 minutes to thicken the gravy. Stir in the lemon juice and half the cilantro, then taste for salt; it usually wants more than you think.
6. Serve in warm bowls with the remaining cilantro on top and warm bread for scooping.