Moroccan Tagine

Tagines are Moroccan slow-cooked meat, fruit and vegetable dishes which are almost invariably made with mutton. Using lamb cuts down the cooking time, but if you can find good hogget (older than lamb, younger than mutton, commonly labeled 'baking legs' and sold cheaply) that will do very well.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 394 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ cup blanched slivered almonds
• salt to taste
• ½ cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 2 large onions, peeled and sliced into rings
• 2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 pears - peeled, cored and cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Fry the onion in the oil until soft. Add the lamb meat to the pan, and fry until just browned on the outside. Season with cumin, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Pour just enough water into the pot to cover the meat. Cover, and simmer over low heat for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is tender and the mixture is stew-like. Displace lid a little after an hour if there appears to be too much liquid.

Step 2

Add the pears, golden raisins and almonds to the stew, and cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the pears are soft. Serve with rice.