Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Olives and Lemons
My whole family really loves lamb, and this version of Moroccan stew has some interesting spices that add an exotic taste and aroma to the dish. This is a true traditional dish based on a recipe I found in another lucky buy at Half Price books. The small paperback cookbook, Food Without Frontiers, by Gerard Chaliand, was only $0.98. What a bargain! It’s still available as a used book online.
A tagine (or tajine) is a rich slow-cooked stew usually made with meat, chicken or fish. It is named for the traditional cookware in which the stew is made. A tagine is a low, circular, wide-bottomed clay or ceramic pot with a conical or dome-shaped lid. Someday I would like to make this stew in its traditional pot.
Here’s how I made mine:
Ingredients
2 pounds lamb, cut into pieces, preferably pastured lamb
1 large onion, finely chopped, organic
5 to 6 ounces green olives, pitted (I used Gaea pitted green olives cured with salt only)
Zest of 2 lemons, grated (organic lemons)
1/3 cup olive oil (organic extra virgin olive oil)
1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, organic
1 teaspoon lacama (mixture of equal parts: curry powder, ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper) (I use Frontier organic herbs and spices)
1 teaspoon salt (I use Celtic Sea Salt)
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated organic black pepper
Preparation
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the lamb pieces, onions, spices, and seasonings. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Add 1/2 cup hot water, if needed. (I didn’t add any water this time.) Cover and simmer for one hour. Ten minutes before serving, add the olives and lemon zest.
I served this lamb tagine with organic Basmati rice and a salad made with local farmers market greens, cucumber, and tomatoes. The salad dressing was a vinaigrette made with olive oil, raw apple cider vinegar, mustard, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. I like my vinaigrette to have about equal amounts of oil and vinegar, but many people prefer 3 to 1, olive oil to vinegar. Make it to suit your taste. It’s quick and easy to make your own and far healthier than store bought salad dressings.
I rinsed the rice well with filtered water, but I didn’t soak it because we rarely eat rice, but, if you eat rice often, it should be soaked before cooking. If you don’t like or don’t have access to lamb, the tagine works well with chicken also. The lacama spice mixture may be available in some stores, but I’ve never found it. I just mix my own using Frontier organic spices.
More information about tagines:
The Moroccan Tagine, Both a Cookware and A Stew
Tajine, Wikipedia
This post is shared on Monday Mania 11/12/2012 at the Healthy Home Economist. Fat Tuesday: November 13, 2012 at Real Food Forager, and Real Food Wednesday 11/14/12 at Kelly the Kitchen Kop.
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