Lamb Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon

• Recipe by Ethan Stowell

When making most stews, cooks typically brown the meat before braising it; here, Ethan Stowell skips that step, which simplifies the Moroccan recipe and gives the lamb a buttery, melt-in-the-mouth texture. The dish is vibrantly flavored with ginger, cumin, coriander, olives and lemon; the broth is delicious over couscous.

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Ingredients

1. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2. 5 garlic cloves, minced
3. Two 2 1/2-inch strips of lemon zest
4. 2 teaspoons ground ginger
5. 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
6. 2 teaspoons ground coriander
7. 1 teaspoon ground cumin
8. 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
9. 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
10. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
11. Pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
12. One 3-inch cinnamon stick
13. Kosher salt
14. 3 1/2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
15. 4 cups water
16. 6 large carrots, thinly sliced
17. 1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
18. 2 cups pitted green Picholine olives, rinsed
19. 1 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
20. 1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
21. 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, saffron, cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Scrape the lamb and spices into a tagine or a medium enameled cast-iron casserole; discard the lemon zest. Add the water, carrots and onion and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours.
3. Spoon off any fat from the broth. Stir in the olives, season with salt and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Serve With

Couscous.