Tagine Of Lamb With Caramelized Baby Onions And Pears Recipes

LAMB TAGINE WITH PEARS

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute until lightly browned. Add lamb, and cook until browned all over. Add just enough water to cover (about 3 cups). Season with salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron. Simmer, covered, over low heat until lamb is very tender, about 1 hour. If the sauce needs to thicken, uncover, and cook for 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, quarter and core pears, but do not peel them. In a large skillet, heat butter and remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add pears, and cook until cut sides have caramelized. Place pears, skin-side up, on top of meat in the skillet. Continue to cook, covered, until pears are very tender, about 30 minutes. Be sure not to overcook pears or they will fall apart. Serve immediately.

LAMB, OLIVE AND CARAMELISED ONION TAGINE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 150C/300 degrees F.
• Put all of the ingredients into a casserole or heavy based pan, pouring in the wine last and giving everything a good stir.
• Bring the pan to a boil, then clamp on the lid and put into the oven for 2 hours or until the lamb is very tender.

TAGINE OF LAMB WITH CARAMELIZED BABY ONIONS AND PEARS

Steps:

• Cut the meat into 6 or 8 pieces, and put it into a wide pan with 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat; turn to brown the pieces all over. Add the chopped onion and barely cover with water. Stir in salt and pepper, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron, and simmer, covered, over a low heat for 1 1/2 hours, turning the pieces over a few times.
• To peel the onions or shallots, blanch them in boiling water for 5 minutes and, when cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and trim the roots. Sauté them in a skillet in 2 tablespoons oil over a low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the pan, until the onions have slightly colored. Then add them to the meat and cook for a further 30 minutes, until the meat is very tender and the baby onions are so soft that, as they say in Morocco, "you can crush them with your tongue." Toward the end of the cooking time, cook uncovered to reduce the sauce. There should be only a small amount of liquid remaining.
• Wash the pears. Quarter and core them but do not peel them. Sauté them in a large skillet in a mixture of butter and the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat until their cut sides are slightly brown and caramelized. If they have not softened right through (that depends on their size and degree of ripeness), put them into the pan over the meat, skin side up, and continue to cook, covered, until they are very tender. It could be 15 minutes, but you must watch them as they can quickly fall apart.
• Serve the meat with the pears, arranged skin side up, on top.
• variations
• Stir in 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of clear honey when you put in the pears, and adjust the seasoning so that there is enough salt and plenty of pepper to mitigate the sweetness.
• Add 1/2 cup blanched almonds to the meat at the start. They will soften during the cooking.
• Instead of pears, sharp green apples, such as Granny Smiths, may be used.
• Use veal instead of lamb.

TAGINE OF LAMB STRACOTTO WITH SPRING ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Toss the lamb with the rosemary, garlic, oil, and the vinegar and let marinate in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
• While the lamb is marinating, blanch the potatoes and carrots. In well-salted boiling water cook the potatoes for 5 or 6 minutes then transfer with a skimmer to a platter or sheet tray. Cook the carrots for 2 or 3 minutes and reserve with the potatoes.
• Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan on medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. While the oil is heating, remove the lamb from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the lamb with the flour and toss to coat. Shake excess flour from the meat and add half to the pan in a single layer so as to sear the meat on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate. Repeat with remaining lamb.
• Carefully place the potatoes and carrots in the pan used for the lamb. (The olive oil will have lots of flavor from the lamb.) Season with salt and pepper and saute until lightly caramelized, about 4 minutes. Stir from time to time and regulate the heat so the vegetables do not caramelize too much on one side. Transfer to a platter or large plate so that they can be spread out in a single layer.
• Pour off and discard the residual oil in the pan. With the pan still on medium heat, deglaze with the wine and reduce by half then add the stock. Bring to a simmer and reduce again by half. Add the seared lamb to the pan and gently toss to incorporate with the pan sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, to taste.
• In a Dutch oven or large, deep baking dish, add the lamb, wine and broth mixture and rosemary. Cover then place in the pre-heated oven for 45 minutes.
• Add the potatoes, carrots and spring onions to the stew. Mix carefully to incorporate. Add a little stock or water, if necessary, to keep the stew moistened. Continue to cook in the oven, covered, until the meat and vegetables are tender, about 10 more minutes.
• Stir in the parsley and lemon zest. Taste and add salt and fresh ground pepper if needed. Serve directly from the baking dish.

TAGINE OF LAMB WITH CARAMELIZED BABY ONIONS AND QUINCES

Steps:

• Follow the recipe for Tagine of Lamb with Caramelized Baby Onions and Pears (page 106) but instead of the pears, use 3 quinces, weighing about 2 pounds. Quinces are now available for several months, starting in the fall, as they are imported from various countries, which have different seasons.
• Wash and scrub the quinces. Boil them whole for about 1 hour, or until they feel soft. The time varies greatly depending on their size and degree of ripeness, so watch them and do not let them fall apart. Drain them and, when cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters, then cut away the cores but do not peel them.
• In a large skillet, sauté the quarters in a little sunflower oil until the cut sides are brown. This gives them a delicious caramelized flavor. Alternatively, for a honeyed version, sauté the quinces in a mixture of 1/4 stick (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted with 1 tablespoon sunflower oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons clear honey. You may also add 3/4 cup walnut halves, which gives a wonderful contrast of texture.
• Put the quinces-caramelized or honeyed-in the pan with the meat, skin side down, and cook until they are soft but, again, watch them so that they do not fall apart. If there is not enough room, lift out the meat and put in the fruits, returning the meat to heat through before serving. Serve hot, with the quinces, skin side up, on top of the meat.

LAMB TAGINE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine lamb and 2 teaspoons salt. Let sit at room temperature at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
• In a small pot, bring stock to a boil. Remove from heat, add apricots, and let sit at least 15 minutes.
• Heat oven to 325 degrees. In a tagine, Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot with a tightfitting lid, warm 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat until hot. Working in batches, add lamb to pot, leaving room around each piece (this will help them brown). Cook until well browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer pieces to a plate as they brown.
• Drain fat, if necessary, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add tomato paste, ginger, 1 cinnamon stick and the spices, and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add lamb and any juices on the plate, the apricots and stock, and half the cilantro. Cover pot with foil and then its lid, and cook in oven for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until lamb is tender, turning it occasionally. (If using a tagine, you don't need to use foil.) Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary.
• Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat butter and 1 cinnamon stick over medium heat. Add almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.
• To serve, transfer lamb and juices to a serving platter. Top with toasted almonds and any butter left in the small skillet, scallions, parsley and remaining cilantro. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice to taste. Serve with flatbread or couscous, if desired.

LAMB TAJIN, WITH SECKEL PEARS

Steps:

• Trim the lamb of excess fat. Mix salt, spices, grated onion, butter and herbs with the lamb in a heavy casserole. Toss together over low heat to release the aromas of the spices, but do not brown the meat. Pour in about two cups water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for one-and-a-half hours, adding water if necessary and turning the meat occasionally in the sauce.
• After one hour, add the minced onion, and continue simmering over gentle heat for another 45 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the sauce has become thick.
• Meanwhile, peel, core and quarter the pears. As you do this, put the slices into a little water with the lemon juice to stop them from turning brown. Rinse and poach in mildly sugared water to cover. Remove and let drain.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Turn lamb into a serving dish. Arrange the pear pieces attractively among the lamb and dust lightly with cinnamon and sugar. Swirl the sauce in the casserole and taste for seasonings (the taste of ginger and pepper should just come through). Pour the sauce over and bake 15 minutes on the upper shelf of the preheated oven to glaze. Serve hot, directly from the baking dish.

LAMB WITH PEAR TAGINE

Steps:

• In a large sauce pan gently fry the onion in the olive oil until soft.
• Add lamb, ginger, and coriander to the pan and cook until it changes color.
• Add cumin, black pepper, cinnamon, and water to just cover the meat.
• Salt to taste.
• Cover and simmer gently until the meat is tender, about 1.5-2 hours.
• If there seems to be a bit too much liquid, displace the lid after an hour of cooking.
• Add the pears to the meat together with almonds. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the pears are soft.
• NOTE:.
• For a different twist on this, you can substitute mixed vegetables of your choice, instead of pear. It would make it more savory than sweet.

MOROCCAN LAMB TAGINE WITH DATES AND PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Cook onions in medium pot of boiling water 2 minutes. Drain, rinse under cold water and peel.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, add to Dutch oven and brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl after each batch is browned. Return all lamb and any juices to Dutch oven. Mix in chopped fresh parsley, chopped cilantro, ground cinnamon, ginger and saffron. Add 1 cup water and 1/2 cup pearl onions. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 hour.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb and pearl onions to bowl. Reserve 3 dates for garnish; add remaining dates and honey to sauce in Dutch oven. Simmer sauce 5 minutes, mashing dates to coarse puree with back of fork. Add remaining pearl onions and simmer until almost tender, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup water if necessary to thin sauce. Return lamb mixture to Dutch oven; simmer until heated through about 5 minutes.
• Season tagine to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to platter. Top with slivered almonds and reserved dates.