Recipe 22
Name:
Recipe name and category: Lamb and
Olive Tagine
No. of servings: 6
Preparation time: 3 hours
Recipe ingredients and directions:
3 lbs lamb
(neck, shoulder, etc.)
1 tsp finely ground ginger
1 tsp finely ground black pepper
½ tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sweet paprika
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
2 tbs olive oil
¾ cup grated onions
2/3 cup minced fresh parsley
1/3 cup minced fresh coriander leaves
(cilantro)
1 lb cracked green olives
3-5 tbs fresh
lemon juice to taste
1
Trim
the lamb of excess fat. With a mortar
and pestle or in a small food processor, make a paste of the ginger, pepper,
cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and oil.
2
In a 4
or 5 quart casserole, toss the lamb with spice paste over very low heat for 2
minutes. Stir in the onions, herbs and
3 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a
boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 2 hours,
or until the meat is very tender and almost falling off the bones.
3
About
30 minutes before serving, preheat oven to 450˚ F. With a slotted spoon, remove the lamb from
the casserole, cut meat from the bones, and place the meat in a shallow
ovenproof dish. Bake on the upper shelf
of the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the meat is lightly crisped.
4
Meanwhile,
in a medium saucepan, combine the olives with cold water to cover. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and
cook for 30 seconds; drain. Add the
olives to the juices in the casserole.
5
Boil
over high heat until juices are reduced to a thick gravy, about 10
minutes. Stir in lemon juice to
taste. Season the juices with salt if
necessary. Cover the lamb completely
with olives and sauce.
Chef’s
note: I always serve this dish with
couscous (buy in bulk from Nature’s or Fred Meyer), red wine (try the Louis
Jadot Beaujolais) and a tomato cucumber coriander salad.
Recipe source: Revised from internet recipe
htt;://tagines.com
Recipe anecdote: My friend Mourad, an Algerian
Berber, cultivated in me a deep love of North African cuisine. This particular dish is from Morocco.