2 pounds of lamb, in chunks
2 cups water
2 tsp *Ras El Hanout spice
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T smen (aged butter**)
1/2 cup almonds, toasted
1/4 cup raisins
Heat oven to 325F. With your hands, coat the lamb with *Ras El Hanout spice. Place spiced lamb in a 5-quart pot (or deep casserole dish) with a lid. Add water, honey & olive oil, **smen and cover well. Bake until the meat falls off the bones (2-4 hours!) You can't hurry this dish!! Transfer the meat into a new dish and keep warm. Place the casserole dish over med-high heat and skim any fat, then add your raisins. Boil until the raisins are fully cooked (10-12 min). Return the lamb to the stew. Boil for about 2 minutes, until heated thru and sauce is thickened. Serve on a shallow platter, garnished with toasted almonds. Serve with extra sauce on the side, along with warm naan bread, and cooked Saffron rice.
Typically served on Eid - the celebration following Ramadan
*Ras El Hanout (spice blend)
The name means "top of the shop" or the best combination of spices/dried roots, ground into one powder. You can also toast each ingredient before grinding for a finer texture. If you have a hard time finding any of these ingredients, try searching for a Middle Eastern market. :) Makes about 1/4 cup.
1 tsp Allspice berries, or 1 1/4 tsp ground Allspice
1 whole Nutmeg, or 2 tsp ground Nutmeg
20 threads Spanish Saffron
2 tsp black Peppercorns, or 1 1/2 tsp ground Black Pepper
1 1/2 tsp Blade Mace or ground Mace
1 3-inch Cinnamon stick, or 1 tsp ground Cinnamon
2 tsp Cardamom seeds, or 1 1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
2 two-inch dried Ginger, or 2 tsp ground Ginger
2 tsp Salt
1 two-inch peice dried Tumeric, or 1 tsp ground Tumeric
If using whole spices, put all the ingredients in a non-stick pan over med-high heat and toast, stirring constantly until the mixture emits a pleasant aroma (3-5 min). Remove from heat and cool. This first step is not necessary if using commercially ground spices. Using a mortar & pestle or a spice grinder, grind into a find powder. Sift to remove larger chunks and place in a tightly sealed container for later use.
**Smen (aged butter)
This is similar to Asian ghee: a prized flavoring in Central Asian dishes. It is made from clarified butter, dried herbs and salt. It is placed in small earthenware pots in a cool, dry place until it acquires the smell & consistency of Roquefort cheese. Berber farmers in southern Morocco bury a tightly sealed pot of Smen on the day of a daughter's birth, unearthing it years later to flavor couscous on her wedding day. I have heard you should use it within 6 months tho. You can substitute equal parts of butter & olive oil in place of Smen in a recipe if you prefer. Makes 1+1/2 cups.
1 pound unsalted butter
2 tsp dried oregano
1 T sea salt
In a med saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Wrap the oregano leaves in a square of cheesecloth and tie with kitchen twine. Set the sachet in the butter. Simmer until butter turns clear golden, and white sediment settles to the bottom (25-30 min). Skim off foam. Discard the oregano sachet. Strain the butter thru fine muslin/cheesecloth once or twice until clear. Transfer to a sterilized jar. Add the salt & mix well. Let stand in a cool place until the butter becomes pungent, 1-2 weeks. Refrigerate after opening.
