Mrouzia Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Almonds, and Honey
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Mrouzia Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Almonds, and Honey Yield: Serves 5-8 Ingredients: 3 lbs Bone-in Lamb Shank - cut into 3 inch pieces 'Marinade': Tagine: 1 Tbs Ras El Hanout Spice Blend 4 cloves Fresh Garlic - minced 2 tsp Ginger Powder 2 Medium Onions - grated 1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper 2 3inch Cinnamon Sticks ½ tsp Turmeric Powder 3 Cups Water ½ tsp Saffron 1 ½ Cups Golden Raisins 2 tsp Kosher Salt ½ Cup Unsalted Butter - softened ½ Cup Honey 1 Tbs Olive Oil ½ Cup Whole Blanched Almonds Preparation: 1) In a large bowl, mix together all of the 'marinade' ingredients until well combined - Add the lamb and thoroughly coat gently massaging the spices into the meat - Cover and place in the refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours (overnight for better results) 2) 30 minutes before you are ready to cook - Remove lamb from refrigerator to allow to warm to near room temperature - Place raisins in a bowl and cover with water - Set aside until needed 3) Once the lamb has 'warmed' and the raisins have soaked for 30 minutes, place the garlic, grated onions, cinnamon sticks, and butter in the dish of a tagine and thoroughly combine - Add the seasoned lamb and give it a mix making sure that all of the pieces are coated - Place over medium heat (using a diffuser is recommended)* and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to just brown the meat - Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water making sure to pour down the sides not over the meat washing off the coating 4) Cover and bring to a medium simmer - Allow to cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender (add water as necessary throughout cooking to keep 'wet' but not 'soupy') 5) Drain the raisins and add to the tagine along with the honey - NOTE: There should be apx 1 inch of liquid in the dish (just enough to cover the raisins) - If needed, add additional water 6) Cover and bring back to a simmer - Allow to cook for another 30-45 minutes until raisins have swelled and the sauce has reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency 7) While the sauce is reducing, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering - Add the almonds and allow to cook (stirring regularly) until just lightly golden in color - Transfer to absorbent paper and allow to drain until needed 8) Remove tagine from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks, and distribute the almonds over the top - Serve hot with Khobz (Moroccan bread) and/or couscous * You can use a Dutch oven instead of a tagine for this however, cook times will vary slightly - If using a Dutch oven (or cast iron tagine - yes, they make those!), you do not have to use a diffuser, this is used to avoid thermal shock that could crack a more traditional earthenware or ceramic tagine Taz Doolittle www.TazCooks.com .