Rhubarb And Lamb Tagine Food

RHUBARB AND LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• A clay tagine which demands long, very slow cooking, will bring out the best of the flavors from the ingredients but a heavy bottomed pan or casserole will do fine. For this style of dish the meat is not browned first but the long cooking creates its own richness.
• Trim any very fatty bits off the lamb and put it into your tagine or pan. Trim and chop half the rhubarb and scatter it over the lamb. Chop the onion and add it to the meat. Pour over the water and add the ginger, cinnamon and salt and pepper. Set on a very low heat, as gentle as gas or electricity will go, and cook for 2 hours if using a metal pan, at least 3 hours and preferably 4 if using a clay tagine. The rhubarb and onion will dissolve into the sauce, which should be much reduced, and the meat should be soft enough to eat with a spoon.
• 15 minutes before serving chop the remaining rhubarb into small, even sized pieces and stir in to the tagine, allow it to soften but do not let it disintegrate. Check the sauce, and add salt if necessary.
• For authenticity serve a tagine with flat "pita-style" bread or couscous.

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.