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MOROCCAN LAMB STEW
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 lbs. Lamb, boneless, lean cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Large onion, sliced (white, yellow or red)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 medium carrots, sliced 1/2 inch width
2 cups tomatoes, crushed
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1/2 teaspoon saffron threads
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 medium zucchini, 1-inch cubes
1 medium butternut squash, 1-inch cubes
1 cup Garbanzo beans, drained
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground ginger
1/4 cup currants, (optional)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground
1/4 teaspoon turmeric, ground
2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons fresh chopped mintHeat olive oil in saucepan on medium to high heat and sauté onions and garlic for
about 10 minutes until tender. Increase heat to high and add lamb,
turmeric, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and brown on all sides. Stir in saffron,
cinnamon, mint, coriander, ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste and chicken stock. Reduce head to
low and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Add carrots and simmer and additional 1/2
hour and add zucchini, butternut squash and garbanzo beans and simmer an
additional 1/2 hour until all vegetables are tender. Taste and adjust the
seasonings as needed.
Serve over a bed of couscous.
NOTES:
I could only find shoulder of lamb locally cut that had the bone in and was
a considerable amount of waste with this cut of lamb. Maybe next time
I can find a better cut of meat or increase the amount of meat before the
trimming stage!
The above recipe is my compilation and modification of different Moroccan
lamb stew recipes collected from the internet and a few ingredients chosen
from memory while in Morocco,
Africa from 1965 to 1967. I left out some traditional ingredients
such as dried prunes, dates, walnuts, dried apricots and honey to make the
recipe less sweet to the taste, however it is fantastic with those
traditional ingredients! Served without couscous is nearly
sacra-religious.
Also my version of couscous is a little different from the traditional
recipes but not too far off the main trail. Most simply steam the couscous which is a type of
pasta made from semolina flour which is more or less bland tasting by
itself but that is open for debate and different opinions. Couscous is
traditionally served with a spicy type of stew or sauce to add flavor to the
couscous. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!
The traditional cooking utensil for this type of dish is a
Tagine or a
couscoussier which was mostly made out of
fired clay with a special dome shaped lid to retain all the moisture. The
traditional couscoussier is normally made from malleable metals such as
copper, however commercial units sell from around 60 to over 200 dollars for
a hand hammered copper unit and less for one that is spun or die formed. That
is the secret or beauty of tagine style of cooking which requires far less liquid to
cook with while retaining nearly all the moisture and very much like the
Towne Craft waterless cookware.
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