Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Fennel and Dates with Le Creuset

Prep Time:
30 minutes.

Cook Time:
3 hours30 minutes.

Overall Time:
4 hours.

Active Ingredients

• 1 fennel bulb
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 red onion, very finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1 1/2- inch cubes and dried with paper towels
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin seed
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste
• 1 cup pitted chopped dates
• 2 cups filtered spring water
• Fresh cilantro to garnish

Instructions

1. Trim coarse stalks from fennel, halve the bulb and get rid of any difficult core. Very finely slice each half (a mandoline does this finest).
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in the tagine base. Include the onion, fennel slices and garlic and cook till all are simply starting to brown. Transfer to a plate and reserve.
3. Include the staying oil to the base and brown a couple of pieces of the lamb at a time, utilizing tongs to turn the meat. Do this in batches, eliminating each batch to a plate when browned. When all of the meat is browned return the meat to the tagine base.
4. Combine all of the spices and salt in a little bowl. Sprinkle over the meat and stir well. Continue to prepare for 1 minute over medium heat.
5. Return the vegetables, together with the dates and half of the water (1 cup), to the tagine base and stir well. Cover with cone-shaped cover and cook very gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. The spices will thicken the liquid as the meal cooks. Include the remaining 1 cup of water little by little as essential throughout the cooking process.
6. Note: For maximum taste, before cooking include 1/2 tablespoon of cumin seeds to the tagine base placed over low heat. Toss for about 2 minutes or up until seeds darken slightly and become aromatic. Add them to a spice mill or mortar and pestle and grind them, then utilize in the dish.