Lamb and Prune Tagine

In Morocco you will find two principle dishes, couscous and tagine. Tagines are slow cooked for at least two hours sometimes more. You will find them lined up outside of restaurants and cafes cooking away with delicious smells wafting into the air. The recipe I have included here is for a tagine sweetened by prunes and garnished with sesame seeds and almonds. In Morocco there is a special tagine pot used specifically for cooking these. Of course I do not expect you to own one, and it is not necessary. It is possible to cook it in a large pan or pot (cast iron works well). Be sure to check my learning from the locals section where you will find my story on cooking in Morocco.

(At home I cooked it in a cast iron pot in substitution of a tagine pot)

Ingredients
2 pounds lamb chops
1 large white onion (diced)
4 cloves garlic (minced)
1 teaspoon fresh ginger (minced)
1 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
One pinch saffron (about 5 threads)
One preserved lemon or one lemon juiced with 2 teaspoons of zest
1 ½ cups dried prunes
3 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped coriander (cilantro)
Half a cup whole blanched almonds (or almond slices)
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Method
In a large pot or pan, arrange the lamb chops so that each one is laying flat on the bottom. Add in the all the ingredients starting with the onion and up until the almonds. These ingredients do not need to be stirred, just simply arrange and sprinkle everything on top of the lamb. Leave the sesame seeds for garnish. Cover the pot with a lid and cook on a medium low heat for 2-3 hours. Make sure to cook it with the lid on and only remove it to check the progress. The finished product should be a juicy tender meat with a sweet soupy sauce. Serve with bread (preferably flat bread).

(This photo was taken at my cooking class in Morocco)