Moroccan Lamb

Sweet, spiced, slow-cooked. A Sunday showstopper.

Ingredients

Spice Blend (Ras el Hanout Style)

Mix together:

Spice	Amount
Brown sugar	2 tbsp
Paprika	2 tbsp
Cumin	1 tbsp
Cinnamon	1 tsp
Ginger	1 tsp
Cloves	½ tsp
Cayenne	½ tsp
Coriander	1 tbsp
Turmeric	1 tsp
Allspice	½ tsp
Pimento	½ tsp

Base

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Lamb or sheep	1.5 kg	Cubed, some fat reserved
Onions	4 large	3 diced, 1 quartered
Garlic	6 cloves	Minced
Ginger	3 tbsp	Fresh, grated
Tomato paste	2 small tins
Whole tomatoes	2 tins

Vegetables

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Carrots	1 small bag	Half thinly sliced, half chunky
Sweet potato	1 large	Thinly sliced
Baby potatoes	1 small bag	Halved (or quartered regular potatoes)
Red/green/yellow peppers	2 each	Chunky pieces
Mushrooms (shiitake)	200g	Sliced

Flavor

Ingredient	Amount
Dates	1 cup
Red wine	1 cup
Chicken stock blocks	2
Chakalaka soup	1 can
Coriander	1 bunch
Lemon	1

Method

Prep

1. Trim lamb: Cut fat from meat, set fat aside
2. Spice meat: Rub spice blend over lamb cubes, set aside

Cook

3. Render fat: Brown lamb fat in heavy pot to release oil (no added oil needed)
4. Sauté aromatics: Add ginger-garlic-onion mix (reserve 1 onion), cook until golden
5. Sear meat: Add spiced lamb, brown on all sides
6. Deglaze: Add red wine, scrape bottom
7. Build liquid: Add stock, whole tomatoes, salt, pepper
8. Layer vegetables:
   • Add thinly sliced sweet potato
   • Add thinly sliced carrots
   • Add halved baby potatoes
   • Add chopped dates
9. Top layer: Quarter remaining onion into thick sheets, layer on top
10. Slow cook: Cover, simmer 2-3 hours until lamb is tender
11. Finish: Add peppers and mushrooms in last 30 minutes
12. Brighten: Stir in lemon juice and fresh coriander before serving

Serving

• Serve over couscous or pressure cooker rice
• Scatter extra coriander on top
• Lemon wedges on the side

Notes

• The layered onion on top creates a sweet, jammy layer
• Dates dissolve into the sauce—don’t worry if you can’t find them later
• Better the next day
• Freezes excellently

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Serves 8-10 | Active time: 45 min | Total time: 3-4 hours