Stovetop Moroccan Lamb Tagine
Whether you have never heard of a Tagine cooked meal before or if you're an expert Moroccan chef, we introduce to you the most savory stew your taste buds will ever have been granted the pleasure of experiencing.
A little bit about the Moroccan Tagine: The Tagine is referred to as both the beautiful earthenware vessel and the stew like dish that is cooked inside. Tagines are practical yet exquisite examples of traditional Moroccan artisanship, and many are showpieces as well as functional cooking vessels.
The benefits of using a tagine to cook a stew is that the vessel allows for a slow-cook that gives the food and spices time to marinate together producing the most savory, fall-off-the-bone stew you will ever taste.
Make your kitchen smell like a fancy Moroccan restaurant. The dish traditionally uses lots of spices both savory and ones that lean more sweet, like cinnamon and cardamom. The result is a dish so well balanced and complex tasting without a ton of work.
INGREDIENTS:
1lb Lamb (suggest leg of lamb or lamb sirloins), cut into 1 inch cubes
2 Large Onions, sliced thinly
2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed into 1-2 inch pieces
1 tbsp Ras el Hanout
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Pepper
2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Cinnamon Sticks
¼ cup Golden Raisins
1 can Chickpeas, drained
1 tsp Honey
Saffron water (see below)
Cilantro and/or Parsley for garnish
Make saffron water by dissolving a pinch of good quality saffron in ¼ cup of warm water.
Cut lamb in to 1 inch cubes and toss with Ras el Hanout, salt and pepper to marinate for an hour.
To make the saffron water, dissolve a pinch of high quality saffron in 1/4 cup of warm water.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Marinate lamb cubes by tossing with Ras El Hanout, salt, and pepper and letting sit for one hour.
Combine sliced onions and olive oil on Tagine base on the stovetop at medium heat until sizzling.
Add marinated lamb and butternut squash on top of the onions.
Pour the saffron water over the lamb/squash/onion mix and cover with lid.
Turn heat down to low and cook for 1 ½ hours – do not lift lid as the steam recirculates to keep in the intense moisture.
Add cinnamon sticks, golden raisins, and drained chickpeas and replace lid, cooking for an additional 45 minutes at low heat.
Add honey to the sauce, top with chopped cilantro and/or parsley and serve with couscous.
