I know the slow cooking movement is big here in Australia, particularly in regional areas. To me, I love the idea as it allows me to take my time and be lazy. How? Slow cooking makes the oven do all the work. None of this fast and furious flash or stir frying. Slow cooking is sliding something in the oven, checking on it every now and then and continuing along with your life as if time didn’t matter and that delicious smell emanating from your oven was just a serendipitous bonus. I’m not so disingenuous to suggest that it can be done any day. When you’ve come home late from work and just want something quickly this is not your recipe. But if you have a bit of time and can wait a couple of hours, this is ideal.
I used my tagine for this recipe. I have guilt towards not using it more often but I do love it. One of the reasons that I don’t use it that often is because it looks so pretty on my sideboard that I don’t want anything happening to it like discolouration. But luckily unlike pots or pans, using it doesn’t seem to have affected it. If you don’t have a tagine, you could easily use a baking tray and then instead of a lid, cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the tray and lay that directly on top of the contents, pressing down which acts as a lid, then covering the whole tray in foil.
I realise that the recipe is a mishmash of cultures but somehow it works The meat is beautifully tender and sweet when combined with the softened dates, honey and fluffy couscous.
Slow Cooked Veal with Couscous
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 4x veal shins or shanks
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1.5 teaspoons Herbies Tunisian seasoning (or any similar type of seasoning)
- oil for browning
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups of beef stock
- 4 thick strips of lemon zest (I used 1/2 a lemon but found that too sour)
- 6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
- 400g potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 10 pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup couscous
- 1 teapoons salt
- 1 tablespoon butter
1. Adjust racks in oven to accommodate the height Tagine or baking tray. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
2. Preheat frying pan or tagine on the hob and in a medium bowl, mix flour and African seasoning mix. Dip veal pieces in flour mix and shake off excess. Add oil to frying pan and brown veal pieces.
3. Add garlic cloves, lemon zest, stock, potatoes and white wine.
Veal shanks browned, just prior to putting it in the oven
4. Place tagine in oven with the lid on and leave to cook for 1 hour. If using a baking tray, cut out a parchment lid the same size of the tray and press down firmly. Cover with foil and leave to slow cook for 1 hour.
5. After an hour, check the meat and stir so that everything gets cooked evenly. Add dates to the mixture and submerge so that they get nice and soft. Cook for another 40 minutes to an hour. Stir in honey.
6. Cook couscous. Place a kettle of water to boil. In a small saucepan empty 1 cup of uncooked couscous. Add 1 teaspoon salt and then 1 1/4 cup of boiling water. Place lid on and sit for 5 minutes. Add tablespoon of butter and using a fork stir this into the couscous fluffing it up.
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34 Comments | Add your own
Oh yum, the soft dates and tender meat sound beautiful. James is always very suspicious of meat with fruit, or any cooked fruit for that matter. I’ll have to break him in slowly.
I love that presentation!
“Tender and sweet meat from the dates, honey & fluffy couscous,” what more could you ask for in a meal?
People in the states tend to break out their slow cookers in the winter, when they are cooking roasts, etc. But I love to use ours in the summer too, particularly if we’re not grilling. They use so little energy and don’t heat up the house as much as running the oven. This is especially important when trying to keep the electric bill down thanks to running the air conditioner constantly during our warmer months.
That spice mix also sounds great. We’ve recently discovered that we love adding fresh mint to meats.
I learned something new! I never knew what a tangine was!
This looks delicious! I’m a big fan of slow cooked dishes like casseroles and roasts. Right now I’m just doing it on the stove but I’ve been thinking of investing in either a slow cooker / crock pot or dutch oven – do you have a preference between the two?
Mmmmmm, slow-cooked veal shanks… that’s my sort of meal. Beautifully tender meat with loads of flavour, great recipe.
how wonderfully warming and hearty! can you believe shanks used to be relegated to feeding dogs with? insane!
(and mmmyes – lemon rind imparts such a great flavour when cooked with lamb. loveit!)
You’re right, that’s a very pretty tagine. I’ve always wanted one, but alas… I just don’t have the room for it. Maybe if I tried rearranging my cupboards just one more time?
The veal looks delicious. I love dates in a tagine; so rich and headily scented.
yummmm. perfect autumn meal. love the inclusion of dates.
Yummo! I think stews are delicious and comforting and Ive never tried dates and lemon in a stew. Thx for the recipe =)
Mmm.. braised meat..Is that shank or shin? Anyway, I love both! I have yet to acquire a tagine, which could well be my next purchase. Although, I also would love to get a crockpot!
Yum! that looks delicious! I’m a massive fan of slow cooking too. Particularly if it requires slowly cooking down meaty bones & oozing marrow. Mmm. I’ll have to try this recipe in the cooler months!
Just lovely…
I agree with sandie about the slow cooker. It is a great investment. You can set it on low when you go to work in the morning, and come home to a lovely slowcooked meal.
I have made a similar recipe to this, using lamb shanks. I’ve never even seen veal shanks before in the shops. I used a moroccan spice mix. It was so delish. I also chucked some chickpea’s in the stew. My kis don’t really like cousous so the chickpeas bulk the meal up a bit.
I love crusty bread with meals like this, for dipping in the gorgeous sauce.
Mmmm I can smell it! yum!
You know, I’ve never made veal shanks, but I make lamb shanks all the time. Perhaps it’s time to give them a try!
Veal shanks is one of my favorite meats to braise. Looks so damn good.
Also, that is one nice-looking tagine. Can I have it?
Looks like a wonderfully rich and conforting meal for the coming colder months. I’ve always appreciated the combination of savoury and sweet when done well.
Does it work any better in a tagine than using the other methods specified?
I love slow cooking as well! I think it’s a form of cooking therapy. I usually do the cast-iron casserole cookware but I should really get myself a tagine!
Mmmm lamb shanks…..
Yum, I love osso bucco. The marrow is always the best part, and it can be found for so cheap in suburban butcheries.
Mmm slow cooking. I used to cook my chicken bone for 4 hours to get the real taste of chicken soup. Seem slow cooking able to release something delicious which can not be achieve with many sauces and flavoured addition.
So, this is a reason for me to buy a tagine, then? I was looking at it at the shop one time. I have never had any recipe asking for me to use one. You said you don’t use it very often… do you think it’s worth the purchase?
This looks simply devine Lorraine – love the dates peeking up through the cous cous.
Ooohh wooww looks grreaat and I can’t even begin to imagine how it would smell mmmmmmm! I have a feeling I will be too impatient for slow cooking though…
Found your website and loved it. I don’t know whether you have any children, if you do or will, they are so lucky.
This looks really good, I love the wonderful redness of your tagine! Ah, the number of things I want for my future kitchen… the list is neverending.
I also love your red placemat, it’s so pretty and intricate.
I love slow cooked lamb shanks, so I’m sure I’ll like this too – will have to try it one day! x
The veal looks so delicious and perfect paired with couscous! Curious about what’s in Tunisian seasoning mix?
what a nice recipe. I think slow cooking is the best for this kind of recipes. It allows the meat to be so tender and flavours to meld. Looks delicious
Hi Arwen-I know a lot of people that don’t like fruit/sweets with savoury but I love it! Hehe perhaps the occasional date isn’t so bad?
Hi anna-Thankyou!
Hi Sandie-Exactly!
Yes a great idea to use all the time. My mum swears by hers and yes better for the electricity bill too!
Hi The Duo Dishes-Great idea using mint! It would really give is a nice pep
Hi Blond Duck-They’re great and I love the way they look
Hi Kathy-Thankyou! Me too, there’s nothing better and I love the smell of it. I think a slow cooker is very electricity efficient so I would probably buy that first (but that’s just me as I keep hearing my mum talk about it!)
Hi Anita-Thankyou so much!
Hi shez-I know isn’t that funny! The crime of it! Yes I love lemon rind, I’d love to salt my own lemons too one day
Hi Angela-Thanks!
It does take up quite a bit of room I have to admit 
I keep it out on my sideboard as I love it.
Hi reddoorread -Thanks! It was a last minute throw in but we both loved it
Hi Brianna-They’re a really nice addition. I always feel like I should put at least one in a stew. You’re welcome!
Hi Y-That’s shin but you can use both. Definitely a good purchase and ideal for Winter!
Hi Forager-Yummm you said the magic word: marrow!
I adore marrow…
Hi BethieofVAd-Why thankyou!
Hi tara-Yes I agree
It’s great and the ultimate in a ready cooked meal! A moroccan spice mix is a great idea. I always like a bit of vegetable in there somewhere! And crusty bread or something to soak up the juice is a must 
Hi Reemski-Hehe thanks!
Hi Sara-I think they’d be quite similar? Either will do really
Hi Jude-Haha no way! I am very protective of my tagine
Hi Simon-Yes when it’s done well it’s magnificent. When not, well …people can hold grudges against sweet and savoury
A lot of people think it does although I haven’t done a direct comparison between a tagine and a baking tray.
Hi Karen-It is indeed, I agree! And yes do get one, although I don’t use it that often., bringing one out at a dinner party never fails to impress
Hi Helen-And the marrow of course is the best bit!
Hi Lilia-Yes I’m sure slow cooking bones is probably better than fast cooking them for soup and gets every bit of flavour out!
Hi Taiko Tari-There are lots of tagine recipes online and mine came with a cookbook which was handy. Well it depends, I look at it also for ornamental value and I love having one. But for a strict cost per use, other items might be better.
Hi Cakelaw-Hehe thanks!
Hi FFichiban-It smells really amazing. Almost torture if you weren’t eating it
Hi rohan-Aww thanks so much!
I don’t have any but my friends are happy with the extras I give them 
Hi Su-yin-I think I have a similarly sized wishlist-am chipping away slowly at it
I love that placemat, it’s so striking!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Ah good question, it’s: mild paprika, garlic, caraway, coriander seed, cumin, salt, chili and spearmint
Hi snooky doodle-Absolutely!
And meat like this just needs that slow cooking to keep it beautifully soft 
there is nothing more comforting than the smell of something slow cooking in the oven…you’ve made me want to go right out and buy a tagine
MMMMMMM….Lorraine!! This looks amazing!!! Wow!!! I just love all those flavours!!! You Rock, girl!!
Hi Alexandra-I thoroughly agree
Hehe go on, it’s fabulous!
Hi Sophie-Thankyou so much Sophie!
That looks wonderful. Now I will have to try your veal – I am a big fan of any slow braise.
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