Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Dried Apricots

I don't know about you, but I didn't crawl my way up the evolutionary ladder so I could eat nothing but brussel sprouts and artichokes - hell no! I really don't know how I could go through life without eating meat. I do love vegetables, but I like them best paired with juicy, succulent, and tender meat - like in this lamb stew. Here I've braised lamb shoulder in a traditional Moroccan stew called a tagine (or tajine), which are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures that result in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. The meats are usually either lamb or chicken, and these meats are often combined with a medley of ingredients or seasonings, such as: olives, quinces, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, nuts, fresh or preserved lemons, honey, and/or various spices like ground cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, paprika, pepper, and Ras el hanout (a blend of spices). Some famous tagine dishes are mqualli or mshermel (both are pairings of chicken, olives and citrus fruits, though preparation methods differ), kefta (meatballs in an egg and tomato sauce), and mrouzia (lamb, raisins and almonds).

The name tagine actually comes from the special pot in which it is cooked, which is a pretty neat piece of kitchen equipment, if you ask me. The traditional tagine pot has a large cone or dome-shaped cover that rests inside the base during cooking and is designed so that all the steam that condenses on the lid returns to the bottom of the pot. It also has a knob-like handle at its top so that the cover can be lifted off without using a mitten, which allows the cook to test the lamb for tenderness, add vegetables, mix the contents, or add additional braising liquid. With the cover removed, the base can be taken to the table for serving. Cool, huh? Too bad they're hard to find in Western parts of the world, so if you don't have a tagine pot (I don't), you can use a Dutch oven, the All-Clad Stainless Braiser Pan, or a heavy stockpot with a good lid (I used my trusty stainless steel All-Clad Saute Pan with a lid).

In this version of tagine, I hope you'll love the complex flavors and melt-in-your-mouth tenderness of the rich lamb shoulder meat (grass-fed lamb is recommended), intoxicating, fragrant aroma of the exotic spices (cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and ginger), and the sweet flavor of the dried Turkish apricots (which tempers the gameyness of the lamb) as much as I do. Yes, lamb shoulder is a little fatty, so this is probably not an everyday meal. The stew is wonderful garnished with toasted sliced almonds and served with steamed couscous. (I mixed steamed quinoa into the stew afterwards, though that isn't exactly traditional.)

By the way, my friend and I had a debate about how the word apricot is pronounced. I pronounce it as "ape-ricot" while he pronounces it as "app-ricot" - maybe it has to do with where you're from (I'm originally from California, he's from NY)?

Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Dried Apricots Ingredients: • ½ pound dried Turkish apricots • 2½ pounds lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2-inch cubes • 2 cups beef stock or water • salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil • 2 large yellow onions, peeled, trimmed, and chopped • 2 large tomatoes, chopped • 6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press • 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated • 1 teaspoon coriander, preferably freshly ground • 1 teaspoon cumin • ½ teaspoon cinnamon • ¼ teaspoon saffron • 1 teaspoon rose water (optional) • toasted sliced almonds, as a garnish (optional) • steamed couscous, for serving (optional) Directions: 1. Soak the apricots in warm water for an hour or so while you prepare the rest of the stew. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper. 2. Heat olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan over medium high heat - enough to cover the bottom of the pan. Add the lamb and brown it on all sides, working in batches if necessary and taking care not to crowd the meat. 3. Remove the meat to a plate and discard most of the fat/oil in the pan, leaving just a thin veil of oil. 4. Add the onions and tomatoes and cook them until soft over medium high heat, about 7 minutes. Add the seared lamb cubes back in, stir in the spices and mix well, and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn't burn and turn bitter. 5. Add just enough beef stock to come to the top of the meat and bring to a boil, skimming any foam that rises to the top. Turn the heat down to a simmer, cover and cook for half an hour. 6. Meanwhile, drain the apricots, reserving the liquid. Chop the apricots coarsely and add them to the lamb. Now keep the pan partially covered and continue to simmer for about another hour or until the lamb is fork-tender. Stir occasionally, and if the liquid gets too low, add some of the reserved apricot liquid. 7. When the lamb is tender, skim any fat off the top, taste for salt and adjust the seasonings as needed. Add rose water and sliced almonds and serve with a side of steamed couscous, if desired.