Free Project: Moroccan Lamb Tagine

In just twelve easy steps, learn how to create your very own version of Lynn Allingham’s mouth-watering Moroccan lamb and mixed vegetable tagine.

When the sun is shining and we are dreaming of summer holidays in far off, exotic climates, here's a project that delivers a little summer to your scene. 

Sam Cooper:

"This is a lovely project,and is so realistic, from the shine on the dish to the tiny grains of rice. I’m just in love with all the detail! No wonder it made the cover!” 

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

You will need:

Polymer clay in: orange, brown, beige, green, translucent orange and white
Soft pastels in: beige, brown, orange, yellow and black
Small piece of tin foil
2 x small plastic cups (for mixing liquids)
1 x small white ceramic plate, 15mm in diameter
Liquid Fimo
Clear gloss liquid

Tools required
Bare craft blade
Rounded rubber clay-shaping tool
Nail file (Emery board)
Pokey tool
Medium fine paintbrush
Fine paintbrush

Lynn’s Top Tip!
“To help turn you miniature Lamb Tagine into a proper little scene, why not get some beautiful linin fabric in a colour that compliments the boldness of the dish and make two simple napkins. Cut two 40x40mm squares from the fabric, then fold diagonally off-center and fix in place with a small piece of double-sided tape. This simple addition to a piece can really make the whole thing come alive.“

1 Mix a little orange and brown clay to create terracotta. Roll into a ball roughly the size of a large marble, then cut and roll two pieces, each slightly smaller than a regular marble.

2 Mix one of the terracotta balls and slowly flatten and shape into a neat plate 25-30mm in diameter. Use a rounded rubber clay-shaping tool to create a delicate 2mm lip that runs around the outer edge of the plate, as pictured. Leave to one side.

3 Take the second ball of clay from step 1 and gently shape into a slightly hollowed cone 2.5cm in diameter and with a small, rounded handle on top, as pictured. Take your time and do not worry if the cone shape isn’t completely neat; it can be sanded later on. Take all pieces from steps1-3 and bake as recommended.

4 Use a nail file to smooth and level any uneven edges on both the plate and lid, as pictured. The tagine handle and side of the lid can also be sanded to create the desired shape.

5 Mix brown clay and marble with a little beige. Roll and flatten theclay to roughly 1-2mm in thickness. Scrunch up a small piece of tin foil and use this to lightly texture both side of the flattened clay. Use a bare craft blade to cut the clay into a batch of small uneven pieces that resemble chunks of cooked lamb. Leave to one side.

6 Mix a small piece of beige clay and roll into 2mm balls to resemble chickpeas. Make roughly 20-25 of these. Take a small piece of green clay and roll into 1mm balls to resemble garden peas; make roughly 20-25 of these also. Leave to one side.

7 For the carrots take a small piece of translucent orange clay and roll between the palms of your hands to a pliable consistency. Cut and roll the clay into three or four small carrot shaped cones. Use a bare craft blade to cut the cones into slices ranging from 1-3mm in diameter. Leave to one side.

8 Take white clay and mix with a little beige to create off-white. Take a piece of the off-white and gently press and fill the base of the tagine plate. Take another piece of clay and fill half the base of a small ceramic plate, as pictured. Use the tip of a pokey tool to scratch and fluff the clay on each, to resemble cooked rice.

9 Mix soft pastel in beige and lightly dust all rice to create a hint of colour, as pictured. Take all separate pieces made in steps 5-9 and bake as recommended.

10 Mix powdered soft pastel in brown,orange and yellow and mix together to create burnt orange. Take a small cup and combine the burnt orange powdered pastel with liquid fimo to create a sauce for the tagine. Take 3 or 4 of the chickpeas and garden peas made in step 6 and leave to one side. Take a second cup and fill it with all the separate ingredients made in steps 5-7. Take the coloured Liquid Fimo and combine with all the ingredients so that they are fully coated.

11 Mix the rice filled tagine and ceramic plate and gently cover each with the previously made lamb and vegetable mixture. Lightly scatter each dish with the chickpeas and garden peas that were set to one side. Take your time to assemble and position the tagine exactly as you would like it, or, as pictured. Bake both plates, for 20 minutes as recommended.

12 Once the tagine has cooled from the oven, lightly coat the entire surface of the mixture with clear gloss liquid. Whilst the gloss is still tacky, dust with a little powdered black pastel to resemble cracked pepper. Leave all pieces to dry fully then display with the tagine lid made in step 3.