Welcome to Morocco

مرحبا بكم في المغرب

Welcome to Morocco

Salam! Okay, so maybe we can't hop a plane and head

 to Morocco for a Blogger Vacation, but I can definitely

 give you a passport to Moroccan cuisine!

I really wanted to extend far beyond my own culinary capability and tackle

 an exotic meal from a Country 

that I knew little about. 

Situated in North Africa, Morocco is known for it's diverse cuisine, long-held traditions, and Mediterranean influence. 

Moroccans emphasize a diet abundant in fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and whole grains. A typical meal begins with a series of hot and cold salads, followed by the main course, a tagine.  

Tagines in Moroccan cuisine are slow-cooked stews braised at low temperatures, resulting in tender meat with aromatic vegetables and sauce. They are traditionally cooked in the tagine pot, whose cover has

 a knob-like handle at its top to facilitate removal. 

Moroccan tagines often combine lamb or chicken with a medley of ingredients or seasonings; olives, quinces, apples, pears, apricots, raisins, prunes, dates, buts, with fresh or preserved lemons, with or without complexity of spices. Traditional spices that are used to flavor tagines include cinnamon, saffron, ginger, turmeric, cumin, and paprika.

Moroccan Apricot Lamb Tagine

1 tsp lemon zest

1 Tbsp olive oil

(+ one extra Tbsp)

1 lb. cubed lamb

1 med. diced onion

1 Tbsp grated garlic

1 Tbsp grated ginger

2 Tbsp tomato paste

1 cup beef stock

2/4 cup dried apricots

1/2 cup raisins

2 Tbsp harissa 

(hot chili pepper sauce)

1 Tbsp honey

Spice Blend: 2 tsp paprika, 1 tsp turmeric, 1 tsp cumin, 

1 tsp coriander, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp cardamom, 

1 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp cayenne, and 1 pinch saffron.

Directions:

1. Mix spices, lemon zest, and 1 Tbsp oil in a plastic bag

2. Add lamb, mix well, and marinate overnight in refrigerator 

3. Heat the other Tbsp oil in a large pan, then add the marinated lamb; cook until lightly browned

4. Remove meat, add onion, saute for 5 minutes until tender

5. Add garlic and ginger, and saute for 1 minute

6. Re-add lamb with tomato paste and cover with beef stock

7. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 1-2 hours

8. Add apricots and raisins for the last 20 minutes of cooking

9. Before removing, mix in honey and harissa

10. Remove from heat and serve

Optional: Serve on a bed of couscous, 

garnished with pistachios, parsley, and yogurt

Serves  5