No Tagine Pot? No Problem!

If you've never heard of Tagine, you're not alone. It's a Moroccan (North African) dish named after the pot that it was traditionally cooked in. You can pay $50 and get yourself one from Williams Sonoma, but you really don't need it to make a yummy Lamb Tagine like I did tonight. In fact, it was so good that Greg told me it's in the Top 10 dishes I've EVER made! Yea, I was pretty proud of myself considering that I've cooked over 1000 meals by now in the 4 years that we've been living together. (OMG time flies!) I put this recipe together after doing a ton of research on what a Tagine should be. I've learned that it's a slow-simmered stew-type dish that involves inexpensive cuts of meat with LOTS Moroccan flavors. So here I've used lamb shoulder chops marinated in olive oil and spices for 3 days (overnight would be fine too) and then simmered in yet more spices and then topped with dried apricots and raisins. The meat was so incredibly tender and flavorful! Of course, with any Moroccan dish, it's gotta be served with couscous. Total comfort food with an international flare!

Ingredients:


2 tsp paparika
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
2 lamb shoulder chops
1/4 c onions, chopped
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, grated
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 c chicken broth
1/2 c dried apricots, chopped
1/4 c raisins
1 Tbsp honey
Couscous, for serving


Prep:


1. In a resealable plastic bag, combine the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, salt and 2 Tbsp olive oil. Add the lamb, seal and shake to coat. Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days.


2. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lamb and brown on both sides, 5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.


3. Add the onions and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon and lemon juice. Stir for 1 minuted. Add the broth and bring to a boil, scrapping up brown bits. Add the meat back and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer 20 minutes, until meat is tender and cookied through. Remove meat to serving platter.


4. Meanwhile, place apricots and raisins in a small microwavable bowl and add 1/2 c water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave on high for 1 minute. Let stand, covered, until softened and plump, about 5 minutes. Strain.


5. Bring remaining liquid in the Dutch oven to a boil over high heat. Add the apricots, raisins and honey. Cook for 5 minutes, until mixture is thickened. Serve meat over couscous topped with sauce.