Paula Wolfert’s Lamb Tagine
Minimally adapted from Couscous And Other Good Food From Morocco
yield: 2-3 servings
Amounts easily scaled upward
Preparation time: 2-3 hours stovetop or in the oven
4 hours in a slow-cooker
1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder or lamb stewing meat with some fat, cut into chunks
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon hot paprika (substitute mild if preferred)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup grated onion
1 cup water
1/4 cup finely minced parsley and cilantro leaves
1 cup pitted olives: Kalamata, Gaeta, or another sharp Greek or Italian variety
1 preserved lemon, rinsed and finely minced
Juice of 1 fresh lemon, Meyer if possible
Note: Slow cooker instructions at bottom of recipe.
If you are making the tagine in the oven, preheat to 325F.
You will need an oven safe, lidded casserole, tagine, or enameled cast-iron pot that holds about 4 quarts.
Bring the lamb to room temperature. Trim any large pieces of fat and discard.
Place the cooking vessel on a burner over low heat. Pour in the olive oil and add the turmeric, ginger, paprika, pepper, cumin, salt, and onion.
Add the lamb and cook very gently, allowing it to brown lightly. Add the cup of water and bring to a boil. If cooking in the oven, cover and place pan in oven for an hour, adding water if needed.
If cooking tagine stovetop, cover and cook over low heat for an hour, adding water if necessary.
I did not need to add water until nearly the end of cooking, and then it was 1 1/2 cups.
After one hour, add the parsley and cilantro. Continue simmering until lamb is tender, another 1-2 hours. Keep an eye on the water level, adding when necessary.
In the final 15 minutes of cooking, add the minced preserved lemon, the fresh lemon juice, and the pitted olives.
Taste for seasoning: you may wish to add a little more preserved lemon.
Serve with couscous, rice, salad, or flatbreads.
Notes:
If you prefer, instead of adding the herbs at the one-hour point, toss them in at the beginning and cook everything at once.
Sauce may be reduced by removing lamb with a slotted spoon and boiling liquid over high heat.
Wolfert writes that a tablespoon of tomato sauce is an excellent addition.
Slow Cooker instructions: Add all the ingredients except lemons and olives to insert. You may need a little more water; it should come 3/4 up the pot but not swamp the lamb. Turn the cooker to the 4 hour or low setting. Fifteen minutes before turning off the pot, add the fresh lemon juice, the minced preserved lemon, and the olives.
Tagine only improves if you allow it rest overnight.
Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator three-four days (don’t go past four days). I find stews tend to turn mushy when frozen.