Lamb Tagine
You can substitute chicken for the lamb. Cut it into 8 pieces and reduce the oven time to about 1 to 1½ hours. I also like to add a handful, say about 1/2 cup (75g) toasted, blanched almonds to the stew during the final 30 minutes of braising, or some green olives. Another option is to add prunes or dried apricots, which add a sublime sweetness.
Servings 6 servings
- 1 lamb shoulder, cut into 6 pieces (have the butcher do it)
- Vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, minced
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) chicken stock, or water
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, plus more if necessary
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- freshly-ground black pepper
- 1 bunch cilantro, rinsed and tied with a string, coriandre
- 20 threads of saffron
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- Up to three days before you make the tagine, massage the lamb shoulder with the salt and refrigerate it before you cook it.
- To make the tagine, remove the lamb from the refrigerator about thirty minutes before you cook it. Heat a few tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and sear the lamb pieces very well, turning them only after they’re nicely browned (this step adds flavor to the tagine.) As you cook the lamb pieces, don’t crowd them in. If your Dutch oven isn’t big enough to cook them all in a single layer at once, brown the lamb pieces in batches.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Once the lamb is browned, add the onions and some of the stock, then scrape the bottom of the pan with a flat wooden spatula to release the flavorful browned bits. Add the remaining stock, then the spices, the bunch of cilantro, and the saffron.
- Cover the pot and bake in the oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, turning the lamb over in the liquid a few times during baking. The liquid should just be simmering gently. If it’s boiling, turn down the heat. When the meat starts to fall off the bone, that’s when it’s ready.
- Remove the lid and leave the tagine in the oven for another 30 minutes so the juices reduce, becoming rich and savory.
Notes
To serve, remove the cilantro and discard. Squeeze some lemon juice into the liquid and add more salt, if desired. Serve with rice or bulghur, along with juices from the tagine. At the table, make sure you have a tube of harissa handy, the fiery Moroccan hot sauce.