Moroccan Stew
A tagine is a North African stew and also the
name of the pot in which the stew is made. To make this dish you will need a
tagine. You can buy one on line or at any good quality cooking store. Once you
start using it, you will use it over and over again. Make sure you prepare it
according to the directions – oil and slow cook. It is so easy to use and easy
to clean.
To balance the sweetness of a fruit tagine start
with a simple carrot salad
Shredded carrot salad
Whisk together about a tablespoon of Dijon
mustard and about 2 tablespoon of olive
oil.
In a mixing bowl
2 cups of shredded carrots
1 cup of shredded cabbage
Toss in a handful of dark currants or dark raisins
Toss in a handful of chopped parsley
Add dressing and toss – serve as starter salad or
as a side dish.
This is my husband’s favorite tagine. It’s made
with lamb, fruit and spices.
Lamb
tagine with prunes, apricots and honey
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of blanched almonds
1 large red onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 medium size carrot cut into bite size pieces
1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger peeled and
chopped
A pinch of saffron threads
2 cinnamon sticks
11/2 teaspoons of coriander seed crushed
1 lb of lamb, from the shoulder, leg or shank,
trimmed and cubed( I prefer the shank)
15 pitted prunes soaked for one hour and drained
10 dried apricots soaked for one hour and drained
6 strips of un-waxed orange peel
2 tablespoons of dark honey
A little sea salt and ground black pepper
A handful of fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
Heat the oil in a tangine (can use a heavy based
casserole dish),stir in the almonds and cook until tender. Add onion and garlic
and sauté until they begin to color. Stir in saffron, ginger, cinnamon sticks
and coriander seeds. Toss in the lamb and carrot making sure they get coated
with all the spices. Sauté of about 2 minutes
Pour in enough water to just cover the meat and
bring it to a boil. Reduce heat, cover the tagine with the top and simmer for
about 1 hour until the meat is tender. Add the prunes, apricots and orange
peel, cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the honey, season with
salt and pepper, cover and simmer for another 10 minutes. Make sure there is
enough liquid in the pot so that the sauce is syrupy and slightly caramelized
but not dry.
Sprinkle in some cilantro leaves and leave the
rest to sprinkle over the top of the dish. Serve immediately with a side of
couscous or with crusty bread.
Serve with a good red French wine such as
Bordeaux. Morocco has a big French influence so a French wine goes well with
Moroccan food.
For dessert you might want to make it a light
sorbet. Lemon and a French macaroon for sweetness. My favorite macaroons –
outside Lauderee’ in Paris where I first had them back in 2001 is Paulette’s.
You can go to the website and order them in a variety of
flavors.paulettesmacarons.com - They are close to the originals born at
Lauderee’.
جيد جدا الغذائي
