Friday, March 1, 2019

Spiced Lamb Tangine

You don’t need a tagine, a conical earthenware pot typically from Morocco, to make this warming, fragrant, tender lamb stew. A Dutch oven works great! This lamb tagine gets its vibrancy from spices like cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, and cardamom. If raisins aren’t your thing, swap them out for another dried fruit like apricots, tart cherries, or prunes—just chop them so they’re raisin-sized.  Check it out!

INGREDIENTS:

2 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, excess fat trimmed, cut into 2" pieces
 Kosher salt
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 1½" piece fresh ginger, peeled, finely grated
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 bay leaves
 ¼ cup golden raisins
 ⅓ cup plus 2 Tbsp. slivered almonds
 2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground cumin ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
 ½ tsp. ground turmeric
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
1 cup mint leaves, torn if large
 ½ lemon

DIRECTIONS:

Pat lamb dry with paper towels, then season on all sides with salt.

Let sit at room temperature 1 hour, or chill, uncovered, up to 12 (longer is better; overnight works great).

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high.

Working in batches, cook lamb, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 12–14 minutes total.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer lamb to a plate.

Add yellow onion and 2 Tbsp. water to pot and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping browned bits from bottom of pot, until onion is slightly softened, 8–10 minutes.

Add ginger, garlic, bay leaves, raisins, and ⅓ cup almonds.

 Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is softened, about 3 minutes.

Return lamb to pot and add tomato paste, cinnamon, cumin, red pepper flakes, turmeric, and cardamom.

 Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is fragrant and tomato paste has darkened and is beginning to stick to bottom of pot, about 3 minutes.

Pour in 6 cups water and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to medium-low and bring to a bare simmer.

Cover partially with lid (you want a little space for steam to escape) and cook, stirring occasionally, until lamb is tender and liquid has thickened, 60–75 minutes.

Remove from heat; taste and adjust seasoning with salt.

Meanwhile, toast remaining 2 Tbsp. almonds in a small dry skillet over medium heat, tossing often, until golden brown, 4–6 minutes.

Transfer to a cutting board and let cool before coarsely chopping.

Toss red onion and mint in a small bowl.

Squeeze out juice from lemon over; season with salt.

Toss again to coat. Ladle stew into bowls.

Top with chopped almonds and onion salad.

Enjoy, Eat Well My Friends!
Posted by at
Labels:

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Food Safety Tips
Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

* Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

* Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

* Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






Cavier & Vodka
Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household