Tayin de Cordero: Lamb Tajine (Tagine)

Simply put, it's Moroccan Stew. The authentic but funny looking apparatus that its cooked in is also called a tajine. It's a clay base with a cone shaped lid. A dutch oven can substitute.

This recipe has lots of ingredients but it's really quite easy. Great for groups, can be mostly prepared in advance. And it keeps well; it's delicious(er) the following day.

By the way, the # sign is short for pounds. I don't have any idea where that abbreviation originated. But I'm curious.

Ingredients:

• olive oil (virgin)
  
• 2 onions - fine rings
  
• 3 cloves garlic - minced
• 2 kg leg of lamb leg [4#] - deboned & cubed

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• 2 T ras el hanout (a Moroccan spice mix)
  
• 1 g saffron (½ t strands) [a pinch]
• 1 stick of cinnamon
  
• ½ t turmeric
• 1 t paprika (normal, not hot)
• 1 t salt
  
• 1 t white pepper
• water
  

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• 150 g dried apricots [½C]
  
• 150 g prunes [1C] - destoned
• 150 g dried figs [½C]
  
• 100 g raisins - dark [¼C]
• 150 g macadamia nuts - slightly cruched (almonds are the norm) (reserve a few)

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• 500 g potatoes [1#] - batons (batones/sticks)
• 250 g carrots [½#] - batons (batones/sticks)

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• 250 g tomatoes [½#] - crushed (canned, jars, whatever)
• 1 bunch of cilantro - chopped leaves (reserve a couple of sprigs for decoration)
  

Procedure:

1. Brown the onions
2. Add the lamb and brown that too
3. Add the spices
4. Cover with water
• get it boiling
• reduce to a simmer
• cover
• cook for 15 minutes
5. After those 15 minutes remove a ½ cup of the cooking liquid
6. Soak the dried fruits in the liquid (top up with water to cover, if needed)
• set aside
  
7. Continue cooking for 15 minutes more (now we're up to 30 minutes)
   
8. Add the carrots, fruits & and macadamias (reserve some for dusting on top later)
9. Cook for 15 more (adds up to 45 minutes)
10. Check the doneness of the lamb - when just about there…
• Add the potatoes
11. Cook for 10 more (adds up to almost 60 minutes)
12. Add tomatoes, chopped cilantro
    
13. Cook for 5 minutes (that makes about an hour)
14. - Done -
    
15. Dust crushed macadamias on top and decorate with a few leaves of cilantro
    

Notes:

1. Everything eventually goes into this one single pot so select a size that will hold it all and allow room to stir stuff.
   
2. I used my 7-spice mix of ras-el-hanout; not my 45-spice mixture. I actually bought these when I was in Morocco so they are super authentic. Oh, I bought the tagine pan there too.
3. Brown the lamb in batches if you have to. Avoid piling it in layers in your pan; it won't brown if there's too much in there
4. Before adding the tomatoes
   
5. When I use chopped cilantro I like to use only the leaves; not any of the stems
6. Many people don't seem to like cilantro. This is cooked, not raw, and has quite a different taste. Or chicken out and use parsley(?)
   

Short version:

• Total cooking time is probably just over an hour (depending on the cut of meat used)
  
• Brown onions, then meat
• Add spices, stir, add water to cover, simmer
• At some point soak the dried fruit in some cooking liquid
• Add carrots, fruits and nuts in the last ½ hour
• Add potatoes when the meat is tender (probably in the last 15 minutes)
  
• Add the tomatoes & cilantro when the potatoes are just about done and bring the dish back up to temperature
  
• Decorate with nuts and cilantro
• - Done -