Mrouzia Recipe - Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Raisins, Almonds and Honey

 

Mrouzia – sometimes spelled M'rouzia – is a sweet and spicy Moroccan tagine traditionally prepared in the days following Eid Al Adha, or Eid Al Kabir. Lamb is most popular at this time, but beef or goat meat can also be used.

Yield: Serves 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 1/2 kg (about 3 lbs.) lamb (shoulder, neck or shanks) cut into 3" pieces
• 2 teaspoons Ras El Hanout
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron threads, crumbled
• ---------------------------------------------
• 2 medium onions, grated
• 3 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 3 cups water
• ----------------------------------------------
• 1 1/2 cups golden raisins (about 225 g)
• 1/2 cup honey, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup blanched almonds (about 50 g)
•  

Preparation:

 

Ahead of Time

Ideally the night before, but at least several hours in advance, wash, drain and pat dry the meat. Mix the spices together and rub evenly over the meat. Cover and refrigerate until cooking time.
If you'll be frying almonds rather than adding them directly to the sauce, you can do that in advance as well. When completely cool, cover the fried almonds until needed as a garnish.

Make the Mrouzia

When you're ready to cook, cover the raisins with water and set aside to soak while the meat is cooking.

Pressure Cooker Method: Mix the seasoned meat in a pressure cooker with the onions, garlic, and butter. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to turn the meat as it browns. Add the 3 cups of water, cover, and cook with pressure for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you're planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.) If necessary, add additional water to just cover the raisins. Cover the pot and simmer without pressure for 20 to 30 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.

Conventional Pot Method: Mix the seasoned meat in a heavy-bottomed pot with the onions, garlic, and butter. Cover and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to turn the meat as it browns. Add the 3 cups of water, cover, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is tender. Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you're planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.) If necessary, add additional water to just cover the raisins. Cover the pot and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.

Tagine Method: In the base of a tagine, mix the seasoned meat with the onions, garlic, and butter. Turn the pieces of meat so that they are bone-side down and add the 3 cups of water. Cover the tagine and place over medium-low heat. Leave the tagine to reach a simmer and then cook for about 3 hours (maintain a medium-low heat setting, and watch the level of liquids toward the end of cooking), or until the meat tests tender. Add the raisins (drained), honey, and cinnamon. (If you are planning to cook the almonds in the sauce, add them now as well.) If necessary, add additional water to almost cover the raisins. Cover the tagine and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes, or until the raisins are plump and the sauce is reduced to a thick, syrup-like consistency.

To Serve

Discard the cinnamon sticks. If the mrouzia was prepared in a tagine, serve the meat directly from the cooking vessel. Otherwise, arrange the meat in center of a serving dish and distribute the raisins, almonds and sauce over the meat. (If fried almonds were prepared ahead of time, scatter them over the mrouzia as a garnish.) Serve warm.