Lamb Tagine Braised Lamb Shoulder With North African Spices Food

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a very large (12-to-13-inch) pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Pat the lamb shanks dry with paper towels. In batches, add the lamb shanks to the pot and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes on each side, until they are nicely browned. Transfer to a plate and brown the remaining shanks, adding a little more oil, if necessary. Transfer all the shanks to the plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, adding more oil, if necessary. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for just 30 seconds. Add the chili powder, turmeric, cumin, cardamom and cinnamon and cook for one minute. Stir in the tomatoes and their liquid, the chicken stock, brown sugar, lime, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the potatoes, butternut squash and sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Place the lamb shanks in the pot, spooning some of the sauce and vegetables over the shanks. (They will not be completely submerged.) Cover the pot and bake for 3 hours, until the lamb shanks are very tender. Serve hot with couscous.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine lamb and 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add apricots, and let sit at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a tagine, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, add lamb to pot, leaving room around each piece (this will help them brown). Cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Drain fat, if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lamb and any juices on the plate, the apricots and stock, and half the cilantro. Cover pot with foil and then its lid, and cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lamb is tender, turning it occasionally. (If using a tagine, you don't need to use foil.) Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter and 1 cinnamon stick over medium heat. Add almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
• To serve, transfer lamb and juices to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and any butter left in the small skillet, scallions, parsley and remaining cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve with flatbread or couscous, if desired.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.
• If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes.

LAMB TAGINE (BRAISED LAMB SHOULDER WITH NORTH AFRICAN SPICES)

Steps:

• Instructions: Cut the lamb into 16 pieces of approximately equal size. Toss with the onion, ginger, orange zest and salt. Cover and refrigerate overnight. For the spice blend: In a small skillet, toast the fennel seed, peppercorns, cumin seed and clove over moderate heat, shaking the skillet constantly until the spices become fragrant and the cumin begins to darken. Let cool, then pound fine in a mortar or grind in a spice mill. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the paprika, turmeric, coriander, saffron threads and cardamom. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over moderate heat. Add the parsnips, onion and ginger and saute for about 5 minutes to soften the vegetables. Add the spice blend and saute for about 3 minutes to allow the spices to bloom. Discard the sliced onion and ginger used to season the meat, then add the meat to the pot along with the cinnamon stick, bay leaf, raisins and stock. Bring to a simmer, then add the cilantro, tucking it down into the liquid. Cover and adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the meat is fork tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours, turning it occasionally in the liquid to keep it moist. Transfer the meat to a platter with tongs. Discard the cilantro, bay leaf and cinnamon stick. Pass the sauce through a food mill or puree in a food processor, then return it to the pot. Taste for salt. Return the meat to the sauce and reheat gently. Serve hot.

LAMB KEFTA TAGINE

Steps:

• Combine all the ingredients for the kefta and form into 1 inch balls with wet hands.
• Heat the olive oil over medium-low in a large tagine or stove-top casserole dish.
• Brown the lamb on all sides (3-5 minutes), then remove, leaving the oil in the pot. Drain the meatballs on paper towels.
• Add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper to the oil and saute until the onion is clear.
• Add the remaining ingredients, except the eggs and kefta to the tagine. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.
• Stir the the lemon juice into sauce then place the kefta in the tagine. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• Carefully break the eggs into the sauce and poach for a few minutes (don't overcook the eggs).
• Serve hot from the tagine with thick bread.

LAMB SHANKS BRAISED WITH APRICOTS AND NORTH AFRICAN SPICES

Steps:

• Combine the cinnamon stick, nutmeg, clove, ginger, peppercorns, cumin, cardamom, coriander and fennel in a spice grinder and grind until fine and well mixed. Measure out 3 tablespoons and reserve the rest for another use.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large roasting pan over medium-high heat. Season the shanks with the salt, place in the pan and sear on all sides, about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside the shanks. Turn the heat to low. Add 1 tablespoon of oil, the garlic and onions. Cook until browned, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, raise the heat and deglaze the pan. Stir in the spice mixture and the apricots. Put the shanks back in the pan.
• Cover with foil and roast until the meat is very soft, turning the shanks frequently and spooning the liquid over them, about 2 1/2 hours. Take out the shanks and degrease the sauce. Stir in the thyme and salt and pepper to taste.
• Divide the shanks among 4 plates and spoon the sauce over them. Serve with couscous or potatoes.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• Place the lamb in a large nonreactive bowl and add the orange juice, vinegar and garlic. Toss to combine. Let the lamb marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 2 hours, turning the pieces once or twice. Drain the lamb, reserving the marinade.
• Heat 2 T olive oil in a flameproof casserole over medium high heat. Add the lamb, in batches, and cook until browned, about 10 minutes per batch, adding more oil as needed.
• As the lamb is browned, remove the pieces to another bowl. Set the lamb aside. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the onion and carrots to the casserole. Adding more oil if necessary, cook the vegetables until softened, about 8 minutes. Then stir in the saffron, cumin, thyme, and coriander and cook over lowheat for 5 minutes to blend the flavors.
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minutes. Add the chickpeas, prunes, wine and reserved marinade. Season with salt and pepper.
• Return the lamb to the casserole and add the tomatoes and olives. Simmer, covered over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/4 hours. Stir int he lemon juice (this brightens the flavors.).
• Serve over couscous, garnished with fresh mint.

ZA'ATAR LAMB, BRAISED VEGETABLES & CHICKPEAS - NORTH AFRICAN

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large bowl of cold water and soak overnight. Rinse and drain.
• Cook the chickpeas and bay leaf in boiling water until just tender. Rinse and drain well.
• Place the lamb, 2 tbsp of the olive oil, sumac, sesame, dried herbs and paprika in a large ziploc bag and close. Massage the rub into the meat for 4-5 minutes before refrigerating for at 45 minutes (or a little longer).
• Place all the dressing ingredients in a screw top jar, close it, then shake well and set aside.
• Heat butter and remaining olive oil in a large frying pan / skillet. Cook the onions for around 10 minutes or until soft and lightly browned. Add the carrot, celery and fennel then cook until veggies and just tender - stir well to avoid burning or sticking!
• Cook the lamb in batches on a hot, well oiled grill plate, until browned and cooked how you like it. Cover and let rest for 5 or so minutes before carving into generous slices.
• Just before serving, combine the chickpeas, parsley and 1/2 the dressing with the veggies, cook until heated through (stirring well).
• Divide salad between 4 plates, place sliced lamb on top and drizzle with remaining dressing.