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.
Get out yer handy dandy bread machine. Add water & honey. Add dry ingredients. Tap to settle ingredients, make a small well in the middle for your yeast, with no water poking thru. Place one piece of butter in each corner, and put the yeast in the middle. Set machine for basic. Watch while kneading - if it is crumbly, add water 1 T at a time. If it is sticking to the sides after 5 minutes of kneading, add flour 1 Tbs at a time. Enjoy!!
