Moroccan Lamb

I attended a cookery class in Marrakesh a year or so ago and we supposedly learned to make this. The best part was wandering around the amazing Souk buying all the ingredients, but the end result was somewhat Europeanified….in other words a tad bland.

I don’t do bland in any shape or form and so decided I was going to either make something to remember….or go out in a blaze of glory trying!

Chopped up a leg of lamb into 1″ (ish) cubes, remembering to throw the cur the bone, and fried them off in oil. Added a tin…yes a tin, of fried onions, and amazing they were too…found them in Waitrose!

Then started the good bit. I threw in half a packet of Ras an Hanout (the recipe said 2 tbsp!) a similar amount of Cumin, Cinnamon, grated nutmeg, paprika and smoked paprika…and let it all bubble around for a while. I also added a large quantity of chopped garlic and chopped ginger!

Added a whole packet of dried dates, and apricots, an entire sliced up pineapple, a packet of blueberries, 2 lemons, quartered, 2 limes, also quartered, added some lamb stock and some water and just let it bubble away for an hour or so.

The smells emanating from the kitchen were stupendous, with even the cur sitting transfixed for a while relishing the thought that this might possible be for her dinner !

Kept on adding spices and assorted ingredients found in the back of the fridge (olives, artichoke hearts etc) until it was time to go.

I have to say it went down rather well. The fact is it actually tasted what one imagines something Moroccan SHOULD taste of…pungent and rich.

I served it with a mint and lemon couscous – the Moroccans would serve it plain – and some French beans tossed in garlic and tomatoes.

Glad to say there wasn’t a whole left over, and everyone had seconds.

Again, there are photos…..but my damned phone download mechanism is on the blink…..so have made one up which is pretty much what we ended up with