About This Dish
A rugged, deeply flavored tagine from the gateway to the Sahara. The cooking of Ouarzazate and the Draa Valley reflects the arid landscape — dishes are intensely spiced and use the region's famous dates, almonds, and desert herbs. This tagine combines lamb with dried apricots, local honey, and a particularly aromatic ras el hanout blend that includes dried desert roses. The meat is cooked until it practically melts, and the sauce achieves a remarkable concentration of flavor. This is the tagine served at kasbahs and desert lodges throughout the region.
Ingredients
- 800 g Lamb shoulder, cubed
- 150 g Dried apricots
- 80 g Almonds, toasted
- 2 Onions, sliced
- 3 tbsp Local honey
- 2 tbsp Ras el hanout
- 1/2 tsp Saffron
- 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
- 3 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- to taste Salt and pepper
- 1.5 cups Water
Instructions
- 1
Season lamb generously with ras el hanout, saffron, cinnamon, salt, and pepper.
- 2
Brown in olive oil and butter. Add onions and cook 10 minutes.
- 3
Add water, cover, and simmer for 2 hours until very tender.
- 4
Add apricots and honey. Cook uncovered 20 minutes until sauce is thick.
- 5
Top with toasted almonds and serve.
Tips & Tricks
- Use the most complex ras el hanout available — it defines this tagine.
- The sauce should be thick and glaze the meat.
- Ouarzazate-region honey has a distinctive floral quality.