Tunisian cumin beef stew (Kamounia)

1. Cut the beef shin into 3 cm cubes; pound the garlic with half the cumin and a pinch of salt to a paste in a mortar.

2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based pan and brown the meat on all sides in batches.

3. Add the garlic-cumin paste and the harissa and stir for 1 minute until fragrant.

4. Pour in the passata and water, season with salt and pepper, cover and simmer over low heat for 2 hours until the meat is tender.

5. At the end, add the remaining freshly ground cumin and cook uncovered for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens.

6. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and serve with bread or couscous.

Tip: Kamounia is the cumin-rich stew of Tunisian cooking (its name comes from kammun, the Arabic for cumin); it's originally often made with liver or offal too. Adding the cumin twice gives a deep yet fresh flavour. Control the heat with the amount of harissa.