Directions: |
Directions:1 1/4 pounds fresh baby okra, trimmed top and tail
1 tablespoon salt mixed with 1 pinch hot pepper and 1 pinch black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
2 pounds quince (9 small or 3 large)
2 pounds lean lamb shoulder, cut into 6 even chunks
1 medium red onion, grated (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes or hot Hungarian paprika or cayenne
2 sprigs each: fresh coriander and parsley, chopped
18 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
Salt
1/4 cup tomato puree
2 1/4 cups minced red onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1. Trim the okra cones as directed below. In a wide bowl toss okra with seasoned salt and 2 teaspoons olive oil and let stand for 1 hour in a warm place.
2. Meanwhile, wash, halve, and core but do not peel the fresh quince. (If using large quince, cut each into 6 sections.) As you work, place pieces in cold water to keep them from blackening. Let soak for at least 1 hour.
3. Trim and discard the excess fat from the chunks of lamb. Mix the grated onion, 3 tablespoons olive oil, saffron, ginger, paprika, herbs, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt with the lamb in a 4-quart casserole. Toss together over medium heat to release the aromas of the spices and lightly brown the onions, about 15 minutes. Add 2 cups water and the tomato puree and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered for 45-minutes. Turn the meat in the sauce occasionally. Add water if necessary.
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4. After 45-minutes, add the minced onion, jalepeno pepper and cumin and continue simmering over gentle heat another 45-minutes.
5. Drain the quince; place in a 12-inch skillet, add 4 cups lightly salted water, cover and cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, or until almost tender. Carefully pour off all but a few tablespoons poaching liquid, add the butter, sugar and cinnamon then raise the heat and cook the quince, flesh side down, until tender and glazed brown, 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, turn each piece over and set aside until step 7.
6. When the lamb has cooked 1-1/2 hours, quickly rinse okra under running water, drain and thoroughly dry with kitchen toweling. Fry in hot oil until browned on all sides; drain on paper toweling. Add the okra to the meat, cover tightly and cook until the meat is very tender and the sauce has become quite thick, 20 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time.
7. To serve, reheat the quince with a sprinkle of water and cook until the skin side is glazed, 5 minutes. Arrange the meat and okra on a 14-inch round, shallow serving dish, pour the onion sauce on top, decorate with the quinces, and serve at once with wedges of dense bread.
Some Moroccan cooks will rub their okra with salt, hot pepper, black pepper and a little oil, then let them rest for a few hours before frying whole in olive oil. They do this to enhance flavor and firm up texture before adding the okra to a couscous or tagine.
Recipe courtesy of African World
Tastes of Africa |
This recipe for MOROCCAN LAMB, QUINCE, & BABY OKRA TAGINE is from