March 29, 2010

A Taste of Morocco

After our relaxing Irish vacation and a brief Birthday Bonanza hiatus, we’re back! I’m sorry to leave you with nothing more than a loaf of bread to look at, but I have much more in store for you this week.  Being without a kitchen for a week made me anxious to come back and cook.  Plus after all that Guinness and all those scones, it was time for something a little more well-balanced.
When we got back, all Sam and I wanted to eat was simple pastas.  More on those later this week, but I just couldn’t wait to blog about tonight’s dinner! Since it’s cold and wet tonight, we decided to do a one pot wonder – a Moroccan lamb stew with carrots and raisins.  It was incredibly fragrant – sweet and savory at the same time – and I was pretty excited that such a spice-filled meal came successfully out of my generally spice-less kitchen.  It simmers for an hour and a half with hardly any need for attention, and it was perfect served over couscous.

Moroccan Lamb Stew 
Serves 2-3

¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. cumin
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1 lb. lamb shoulder chop on the bone
olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 carrots, cut into inch chunks
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 1/3 c. water
½ c. raisins

Mix the first 5 ingredients together in a medium size bowl.  Heat oil in a dutch oven or heavy pot.  Dredge the lamb in the spice mix and brown the meat in batches about 3 minutes a side.  Remove the meat and reserve.  Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and ginger to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes.  Return the meat to the pot and add the water.  Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and cover.  Let simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally.  After an hour, add the raisins and let simmer for another 30 minutes.  

Serve over couscous made with the broth from the stew and season to taste with salt and pepper. 

3 comments:

  1. Erin,

    This looks SO GOOD. I love anything with these flavors, but I think using the lamb will really step it up a notch. I will have to try this soon!

    Shelby

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Shelby! It was SUPER easy too. Don't worry about getting a good cut of meat-this stews so long that it will become really tender, no matter what you get!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Mmmmm. I know we talked about this dish over Easter and now I'm revisiting it. Looks delicious!! We may be eating it this weekend . . . Hope all is well, Liz.

    ReplyDelete

Have a comment? I'd love to hear it!