Beef & cardoon tagine

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a casserole dish, or tagine, over a medium heat, then add the beef and brown for 5–7 minutes. Transfer beef to a plate.
2. Add the onions, garlic and celery to the casserole and soften for 5–7 minutes. Add the Ras el Hanout, cumin, ginger, saffron, turmeric, tomato purée, coriander and parsley, then cook for 5 more minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Return the beef to the casserole dish and add enough water to just cover the mixture. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours or until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
3. Meanwhile, add half a lemon to a large bowl of cold water. Remove the tough outer stalks of the cardoons, separate the stalks and wash in cold water. Remove the strings from stalks with a sharp knife or potato peeler, placing the stalks immediately into the bowl of cold water to stop the cardoons from discolouring.
4. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil over medium heat. Cut the cardoon stalks into 6cm pieces and add to the boiling water. Bring the water back to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until the cardoon stalks are almost cooked. Drain then stir into the beef tagine and add with the remaining lemon halves and the olives during last 40 minutes of cooking.
5. Serve immediately with couscous.