North Africa meets the Middle East in this Moroccan-inspired lamb tagine. Ras-al-hanout (translation: “head of the shop”) is a fragrant Moroccan spice blend of cinnamon, black pepper, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, cloves and allspice. You can find it, along with preserved lemons, at gourmet stores, Middle Eastern markets and some large gourmet supermarkets. Serve with fluffy whole grain couscous for a nourishing spin on traditional couscous.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lamb stew meat or shoulder roast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ras-al-hanout
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano, minced
- 1 can chickpeas (15 ounces), rinsed and drained
- 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped
- 1/4 cup preserved lemon, chopped
- 1/4 cup dried dates, pitted and chopped
- 1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 275°F.
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, and add oil to pan. Generously season lamb with salt and pepper. Add half of lamb to pan, and cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove lamb from pan. Repeat with remaining lamb.
- Add onion to pan, and saute 2 minutes, or until tender. Add garlic, ras al hanout, salt and pepper, and saute 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Return lamb to pan. Add water and oregano. Cover, place in the oven, and bake 1 hour. Add chickpeas, olives, preserved lemon and dates. Cover, and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until lamb is fork-tender. If the lamb needs more time, put it back in the oven for 15 minutes, or until it's fall-apart tender.
- Divide bulgur evenly among 4 plates. Top evenly with lamb mixture. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and cilantro.
Servings: 4
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