Mrouzia (Moroccan Honey Lamb)

I still haven't found anyone to go with for Moroccan, so I decided to try to make honey lamb at home.  This can also be done with chicken thighs if you're on a budget.  And I did kind of break the budget on this meal, even using cheaper cuts of lamb that were on sale.  Let's call this a weekend-company dish.  Not quite as all-out as a holiday, but definitely more work than you would want on a weeknight.

For the Ras El Hanout, I suggest looking for something labeled Tagine Spice if you can't find it by its original name.  Several national brands call it that.  Warning, you may end up at Whole Foods.  I got mine at Williams-Sonoma, but they don't seem to be carrying it at the moment.  It's basically a whole bunch of Middle Eastern spices all mixed up together with a touch of cayenne and probably something else hot.  My blend is pretty mild because it's W-S, but a more authentic version may be hotter.  If you have access to a Middle Eastern market, they'll definitely have a good selection.

In researching a recipe, I discovered Cooking with Alia.  She specializes in making Moroccan food easier to prepare, but still authentic.  That was exactly what I had in mind, so here it goes.

1 lb lamb stew meat (add 1/2 pound if bone-in)

*1/2 Tb Ras El Hanout
1/2 tsp ground ginger
generous pinch saffron
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 medium onion
1/2 C raisins
1 Tb oil
1 Tb butter
2 cinnamon sticks
*1/4 C honey
almonds for garnish

1.  The day before, combine Ras El Hanout, ginger, saffron, salt, and pepper.  Rub into meat.  Place in a large ziplock bag and add 1/2 cup of water, just enough to activate the spices and keep everything moist.  Refrigerate until it's time to cook.

2.  Ok, here's the thing.  I don't grate onions.  It's crazy hard to do, and risky to the fingers.  Go ahead and do it if you want, but I'm recommending either running the onion through the food processor's grating disc or mincing it.  I used the whacker-chopper, which practically puréed it in about a minute.  Oh, and start soaking the raisins in some hot water to plump them.

3.  Drizzle the oil and butter into a large saucepan over medium heat.  Cook the onions until soft, then add the meat and any spice juice in the plastic bag.  Cook until meat is browned on all sides, about 10 minutes total.  Add cinnamon sticks and water to cover and bring to a low boil.  Lower heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until meat is falling off the bones, at least 2 hours.

4.  Drain raisins and add to pot.  Stir in honey.  Fish out cinnamon sticks.  Leave off lid, raise temperature to medium, and allow sauce to cook down and thicken by half.  Move meat to a serving platter, spoon sauce over, and garnish with almonds.  Whole almonds are traditional, but I prefer sliced or slivered because they're easier to chew.

Difficulty rating. :)