Lamb Tagine With Olives And Lemon Recipes

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine lamb and 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add apricots, and let sit at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a tagine, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, add lamb to pot, leaving room around each piece (this will help them brown). Cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Drain fat, if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lamb and any juices on the plate, the apricots and stock, and half the cilantro. Cover pot with foil and then its lid, and cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lamb is tender, turning it occasionally. (If using a tagine, you don't need to use foil.) Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter and 1 cinnamon stick over medium heat. Add almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
• To serve, transfer lamb and juices to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and any butter left in the small skillet, scallions, parsley and remaining cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve with flatbread or couscous, if desired.

Steps:

• Make the spice mixture by stirring together the spices in a small bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large, ovenproof stew pot or tagine, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the lamb all over with salt and pepper. Add the meat to the pot and stir to coat in the oil. Brown for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the meat browns evenly on all sides. Transfer the meat to a bowl and set it aside.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, stirring to coat. Sauté for about a minute, until it begins to soften. Add the garlic and ginger and add the meat back to the pot. Stir everything together. Squeeze the orange juice into the pot and mix well. Add the tomatoes, orange peel, spice mixture, chicken broth and honey. Mix well. Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cover the pot and put it in the oven. Cook for 1 hour or until the meat is about half-cooked.
• Stir in the carrots and celery and return the pot to the oven. Cook for another 30 to 45 minutes, until the sauce is thick and reduced and the lamb is tender.
• While the tagine is in the oven, toast the almonds and the sesame seeds in a small pan over low heat until the nuts are golden, about 5 minutes, stirring regularly to make sure the almonds don't burn.
• About 15 minutes before the tagine is finished, make the citrus rice: Put the rice and 2 cups of water in a large pot set over high heat. Add the bay leaf, lemon zest, salt, red-pepper flakes and butter. When the water boils, lower the heat and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Continue to simmer until the liquid has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the lemon juice, orange pieces and scallions and mix well. Transfer to a large bowl and serve immediately.
• Remove the garlic clove and orange peel from the tagine. Add the olives and spoon the tagine onto a large serving plate. Sprinkle the almonds and sesame seeds on top. Serve immediately, with citrus rice.

Steps:

• In a large, zip top bag, combine olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne pepper, cloves, saffron, cinnamon stick, salt and lamb. Seal well, pressing out excess air. Refrigerate 4-6 hours, turning occasionally.
• Empty the bag into a tagine or a medium enameled cast-iron casserole. Remove the lemon zest and discard. Add the water, carrots and onion, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat 2 hours or until lamb is quite tender.
• Remove fat from broth. Rinse olives well and add to pan. Season with salt to taste. Remove from heat and add parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Serve with couscous.

Steps:

• Put the meat in a large pot with the oil, onion, salt and pepper, ginger, chili if using, and saffron. Cover with water and cook, covered, for 1-1 1/2 hours, until the meat is very tender, adding water to keep it covered in its sauce.
• Add the peas, tomatoes, preserved lemon peel, and olives and cook, uncovered, a few minutes longer, until the peas are tender and the sauce is reduced.
• Serve hot with bread or couscous.