Lamb Tajine With Apples And Baby Okra Recipes

BAMYA

Steps:

• Mix the lamb with 1 teaspoon seven spice blend in a large bowl, tossing to coat, and set it aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Add the lamb to the pot and sear until brown on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Remove the lamb from the pot and set it aside.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the same pot over medium heat. Saute the onion until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and cilantro and stir to combine. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the okra. Stir in 1 teaspoon kosher salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon of seven spice and add the browned lamb. Add in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste and 3 cups of water.
• Cover and cook the stew over medium heat until the lamb is fully cooked, 30 to 40 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the stew right before serving. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt.

LAMB TAGINE WITH OKRA AND QUINCE

Steps:

• Using the grating disc in food processor, grate one onion and set aside.
• Using chopping blade in food processor, mince the garlic and set aside. Mince jalapeno, then chop the two remaining onions and set aside. (Do not combine with the minced garlic or grated onion, since ingredients are added to the simmering tajine at different times.) Chop cilantro and parsley, then set aside.
• Heat olive oil in bottom of tagine or dutch oven with a tightly fitting lid. Brown lamb, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add grated onion, saffron, ginger, paprika, cilantro, parsley and garlic and stir with the browned lamb. Add the can of tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile toast cumin seed in a small skillet until fragrant, just a few minutes. Allow to cool, then grind in spice grinder. The Saveur recipe calls for 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin, but you might want to use all that you ground. Or save the rest for another use.
• After lamb has been simmering for 45 minutes, add chopped onions, jalapeño, and 1/2 teaspoon (or more if you want) of toasted ground cumin, then simmer 45 minutes more.
• Meanwhile poach the quince. Cut each quince into 6 slices, leaving skin on and removing core and seeds. Using a large skillet, poach the quince in simmering salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain off almost all of the poaching water, reserving about 2--3 tablespoons in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and the cinnamon, making a syrup. Cook fleshy side down until glazed, about 20 minutes. Turn over and brown the skin side. Keep warm to serve with the lamb.
• Simmer okra in a small amount of water until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and add to tajine. (The Saveur recipe just adds the okra to the tajine after it has simmered for the 90 minutes. But when I did this before, I simply could not get my okra tender within a few minutes. Once the okra had finally cooked sufficiently, it seemed that some of the other ingredients, like the garlic and cumin, had overcooked, resulting in a bitter flavor. So to get the flavor right, I cook the okra separately).
• To prepare couscous, add 1 cup of boiling water to 1 cup of couscous. Cover and let stand for 10 minutes. Then fluff with a fork.
• To plate, serve tajine over the couscous and garnish with the quince. If you have any preserved lemon, add a little to the plate with a few sprigs of cilantro.