Mrouzia Recipe
Mrouzia
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Almonds, and Honey
Submitted By: Taz
Ingredients:
3 lbs Bone-in Lamb Shank - cut into 3 inch pieces
'Marinade':
2 tsp Ginger Powder
1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Saffron
2 tsp Kosher Salt
Tagine:
4 cloves Fresh Garlic - minced
2 Medium Onions - grated
2 3inch Cinnamon Sticks
3 Cups Water
1 ½ Cups Golden Raisins
½ Cup Unsalted Butter - softened
½ Cup Honey
1 Tbs Olive Oil
½ Cup Whole Blanched Almonds
Preparation:
- In a large bowl, mix together all of the 'marinade' ingredients until well combined - Add the lamb and thoroughly coat gently massaging the spices into the meat - Cover and place in the refrigerator for a minimum 4 hours (overnight for better results)
- 30 minutes before you are ready to cook - Remove lamb from refrigerator to allow to warm to near room temperature - Place raisins in a bowl and cover with water - Set aside until needed
- Once the lamb has 'warmed' and the raisins have soaked for 30 minutes, place the garlic, grated onions, cinnamon sticks, and butter in the dish of a tagine and thoroughly combine - Add the seasoned lamb and give it a mix making sure that all of the pieces are coated - Place over medium heat (using a diffuser is recommended)* and allow to cook for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to just brown the meat - Reduce heat to medium-low and add the water making sure to pour down the sides not over the meat washing off the coating
- Cover and bring to a medium simmer - Allow to cook for 3 hours or until meat is tender (add water as necessary throughout cooking to keep 'wet' but not 'soupy')
- Drain the raisins and add to the tagine along with the honey - NOTE: There should be apx 1 inch of liquid in the dish (just enough to cover the raisins) - If needed, add additional water
- Cover and bring back to a simmer - Allow to cook for another 30-45 minutes until raisins have swelled and the sauce has reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency
- While the sauce is reducing, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat until just shimmering - Add the almonds and allow to cook (stirring regularly) until just lightly golden in color - Transfer to absorbent paper and allow to drain until needed
- Remove tagine from heat, remove the cinnamon sticks, and distribute the almonds over the top - Serve hot with Khobz (Moroccan bread) and/or couscous
* You can use a Dutch oven instead of a tagine for this however, cook times will vary slightly - If using
a Dutch oven (or cast iron tagine - yes, they make those!), you do not have to use a diffuser, this is
used to avoid thermal shock that could crack a more traditional earthenware or ceramic tagine
