← Nouns Cooking · Moroccan

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg lamb neck fillet or shoulder, cut into 5 cm pieces
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp Ground ginger
• 1 tsp Ground turmeric
• 1 pinch Saffron, crumbled
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 3 tbsp Olive oil
• 350 ml vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 bunch Coriander (cilantro), tied with string
• 3 large quinces
• 1 Lemon, halved
• 40 g Butter
• 4 tbsp Honey
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tbsp Sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Method

1. Warm the oil in a heavy casserole over medium heat, add the onions, cover and let them sweat for 15 min until soft and see-through.
2. Stir in the garlic, ginger, turmeric, saffron, cinnamon stick, salt and pepper, then add the lamb and cook for 5–7 min, turning, until it is coated and lightly coloured.
3. Pour in the stock, lay the coriander bundle on top and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer gently for 1½–2 hours, stirring now and then, until the lamb is soft enough to pull apart.
4. Meanwhile peel, quarter and core the quinces, dropping the pieces into a bowl of water with the lemon squeezed in so they stay pale. Simmer them in lightly salted water for 15–20 min until a knife slides in easily, then drain.
5. Melt the butter in a wide frying pan, add the quince, honey and ground cinnamon and cook over medium heat for 8–10 min, turning gently, until glossy and amber.
6. Lift out the coriander bundle and boil the lamb sauce uncovered for 5–10 min until thick. Arrange the lamb on a platter, spoon over the sauce, top with the glazed quince and scatter with sesame seeds.

Tips

• Quinces are hard when raw: use a sturdy knife and a steady board. Firm pears or apples work too and need only 5 min of poaching.
• Make the lamb a day ahead; the sauce tastes even better, and you can glaze the fruit just before serving.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

My Moroccan Food SBS Food