GGZ Moroccan Lamb

Kim and I found this recipe on the Internets and creamed ourselves with delight at its excellence. It requires marinating the lamb overnight, be warned.

It's not important to get a good cut of lamb. This thing slow cooks for a LONG time, so don't waste your money. Get the "soup cut" or whatever, it usually comes already cubed and super easy.

Also, don't go crazy with extra ingredients, like "oh I have 2 large onions, I'll use those instead of 2 medium". Your pot (or tagine) is going to be REALLY full with all these things. If you have to err low or high, go just a little low or you might have an unfortunate spilling accident.

Base:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes

Marinade:

• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron (the best way to get flavor out of saffron is to lightly toast it on a hot pan for 1-2 minutes or until it starts to smell fragrant.)
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander

Tagine:

• 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 5 carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 lemon, zested
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
• 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
• 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Steps: 1. Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. (This is your tagine, if you're fancy like me.) Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.

3. If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes.