Recipe Description
About Moroccan Lamb with Dates:
The dates in this Moroccan Lamb recipe give a sweet twang to the dish, balancing out the spices perfectly.
This recipe was first published in Flavours magazine.
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Recipe Ingredient
- 4 pieces lamb foreshank
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 large onion (minced)
- 1 inch ginger (grated)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp black pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp saffron threads (soaked in a little water)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp 7-spice powder/ Ras Al Hanout (optional)
- 2 1/2cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- Date sauce
- 150g dates (pitted)
- 2 tbsp sugar/ honey
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds (toasted)
- a handful of almonds (roasted)
Instructions
- Mix the lamb with the oil, garlic, onion, ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, salt, saffron, turmeric and 7-spice powder.
- Heat a pot and brown the meat for a few minutes over medium heat.
- Add the water and bay leaf, increase the heat and bring to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium.
- After an hour, scoop out 1/2 a cup of liquid and set it aside.
- Put the lid back on and resume cooking for a further 1 1/2 hours till meat is tender and breaks away from the bone. (If necessary, add a small amount of water during cooking to prevent the meat from scorching.)
- Once meat has cooked, remove the lamb from the pot and reduce the liquid until there is only onions and oil left.
- Place the reserved liquid (from the step above) and the dates into a pot and cook over medium heat.
- Slowly stir in the sugar and cinnamon and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes, till mixture becomes a thick syrup.
- Place the lamb on a serving platter along with the onion and oil.
- Top with a drizzle of date sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds and almonds.
- * Note: Ras Al Hanout is a spice blend that originated from North Africa.
To cook lamb:
To make sauce:
To assemble: