Lamb & Dried Apricot Tagine is this week’s FFWD recipe choice and is made in this beautiful Le Creuset tagine (or, a Dutch oven).
This week’s French Fridays recipe choice is Lamb & Dried Apricot Tagine, an aromatic, historically Berber stew of spiced meat, vegetables and dried fruit. Its preparation, a braise, translates to being slowly cooked in a shallow earthenware dish topped by a tall, conical lid unique to its North African beginnings.
“Like many Moroccan tagines,” Doria explains, “this one is aigre-doux, or sour-sweet, and studded with fruit. After you’ve made it, you’ll be as grateful [to have this recipe] as I am.”
Lamb & Dried Apricot Tagine served with white rice (or, couscous)
That’s why this week’s post is not only about a scrumptiously delicious Moroccan classic but also about Gratefulness. In our family we’ve had a tradition since Emma’s been three years old, that before eating our Thanksgiving dinner, we each talk about those things during the past year for which we are most grateful. Despite the roller-coaster ride through Life that all families experience, it’s a good time to be reminded of our good fortunes. Many of our best Thanksgiving memories the past ten years are these conversations.
Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it. William Arthur Ward
My family, before Thanksgiving dinner and the gratitude remarks, at Death Valley National Park.
Our cups runneth over with a menagerie of I Am Grateful For…….. Clara, now 11, has often been grateful for Blazer, her fire-bellied toad who dines on crickets. One year she mentioned gratefulness for each of her named stuffed animals and her Dad. (Her mother, sister and I didn’t make the Cut.) Emma, 13, usually produces a beautifully written list and eloquently improvises off those prompts. Included always are teachers, relatives, friends, beloved pets and, of course, loved ones we’ve lost.
Stephen’s is always rather short but, score a gold star for him, he never fails mentioning his mother-in-law. Although my thoughts evolve, this year I was grateful for good health, fine friends and for the many things that make a mother and grandmother’s heart swell. None of us, however, have a handle on this gratitude business like Melissa who always speaks last. Missy’s “presentation” is lengthy and always involves tears.
The onions, garlic, tomatoes, seasonings and flavorings are slowly cooking and softening before the meat, apricots and almonds are added.
When the girls were little, those tears were of concern to them. As they grew older and in the eight years we’ve celebrated Thanksgiving in the lovely Furnace Creek Inn dining room at Death Valley, there was some mortification on their part. However, we’ve all grown quite appreciative of “Mom’s tears” and, admittedly, would be disappointed if she didn’t shed them. This year she didn’t disappoint. In fact, she was gooddddd.
Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy. Jacques Maritain
What has become special about this tradition is the thoughtfulness required of us prior to each kickoff of a frenetic holiday season. And, everyone is expected to do their homework before we sit down to a splendid dinner. Because three generations are sitting at the table – this year we dealt with an 11-year-old up to a 70-year old, it’s enlightening to realize each year what we all value. It’s a wonderful, ever-changing process.
The toasted sliced almonds are added at the very last minute.
During the past week, I am grateful for having made this delicious tagine and hope you will enjoy it also. I am also grateful that when forced to scale back on my kitchen items, I kept my Le Creuset tagine. (Don’t own a tagine? A Dutch oven works.) For my newly-sharpened knives that are just back from an overdue visit to the local man who has those sharpening skills, I’m also grateful.
The list goes on and on. As you know, French Fridays with Dorie is an international on-line group cooking its way through Dorie Greenspan’s, Around My French Table. I am most grateful for my FFWD colleagues and our friend and mentor, Dorie. To all of you who loyally read my blog, I also am exceedingly grateful, as you know.
Francis Coppola’s 2011 Black Label Claret (a Cabernet Sauvignon from his Diamond Collection) was a good pour for this meal.
The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings. Eric Hoffer
Ingredients
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes and 1 3/4 cups boiling water or 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 pound moist, plump dried apricots
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 3/4 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, fat removed, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 medium onions, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, split, germ removed, and finely chopped
- 1 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained, or 4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 1–2 small dried chili peppers
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, cracked
- 2 pinches of saffron threads
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- About 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds
- Couscous or rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- If you're using the bouillon cubes, drop them into a medium bowl and pour over the boiling water; stir to dissolve. If you're using chicken broth, bring it to a boil, then pour it into a bowl. Add the apricots to the bowl and let them soak and plump while you prepare the rest of the tagine.
- Put the base of a tagine, a high-sided heavy skillet, or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and pour in 3 tablespoons of the oil. Pat the pieces of lamb dry between paper towels, then drop them into the hot oil (don't crowd the pan — work in batches if necessary) and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes.
- With a slotted spoon, lift the meat out of the pan and onto a plate. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Pour out the fat in the pan, leaving whatever bits may have stuck.
- Return the pan to the stove, reduce the heat to low, and add 2 more tablespoons olive oil. When the oil is warm, stir in the onions and garlic and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, just to get them started on the road to softening.
- Add the tomatoes, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, adding a little more oil if needed.
- Drain the apricots and add the chicken bouillon/broth to the pan, along with the chili(es), coriander, saffron — crush it between your fingers as you sprinkle it in — ginger, cumin, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro. Stir to mix and dissolve the spices, then season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the meat and any juices on the plate over the vegetables and top with the apricots. Seal the pan with aluminum foil, clap on the lid, and slide it into the oven.
- Bake the tagine for 1 hour. Carefully lift the lid and foil and scatter the almonds over the meat. Re-cover the pan and bake the tagine for 15 minutes more.
- If you cooked the braise in a tagine, sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro over the meat, bring the tagine to the table, and serve directly from the pan. If you used a skillet or Dutch oven, transfer the tagine to a warm large serving platter and dust with the cilantro.
- Serve with couscous or rice, if you like.
Jealous of your tagine Mary! And what a beautiful post – we are grateful to have you among us cooking and baking every Friday XO
Lovely post, lovely family, lovely meal!
Yum! I am making mine tonight. I wish I had a tagine. I may have to tell Santa. Have a great weekend.
What a beautiful post, Mary, on so so many levels! Of course your tagine looks great, but I really enjoyed reading about your family’s traditions at Thanksgiving. Great photo of you all looking happy and healthy. We all have so much to be thankful for and I will reiterate that it’s beautiful when anyone shares those moments of gratitude as it also inspires our own moments of gratefulness. Hugs!
I still need to christen my tagine…wonder if I can make a tagine with beef, potatoes and ketchup? Then Bill would dive in with gusto 🙂 Your family is beautiful, Mary, and much more eloquent than mine…every Thanksgiving, I start prompting them to share their “thankful” list and I mainly get sarcasm 🙂 Wonder where that comes from? But I know we are all grateful for the lives we have, our family, our friends. You’re in that list! xo
What a lovely tradition. My family has talked about doing something similar before, but with between 20 to 30 around the table each year, we would need to keep our lists short or starve:-) But that doesn’t stop my step mother from crying every year when she leads grace. I used to pick on her mercilessly for her tears, until they came to my house for Thanksgiving a few years ago and I was the one to lead grace, and burst into tears before I’d even gotten started.
Lovely post Mary! We always do the “What are you most grateful for?” and “what was the best and worst part of your day?” at family dinners. I am always grateful for the lovely answers that my grandchildren come up with.
Your tagine looks wonderful! I never got mine made this week…but am so looking forward to it! I did make the Red Kuri soup and it was delightful!
Five stars for this week’s post! It warmed my heart. Looks like Emma did wear her strapless dress as planned for Thanksgiving. I love the tradition of sharing what you’re thankful for, we do the same at our table, BUT everyone is limited to just one thing. Your tagine looks wonderful, and I love that you made it in a bonafide tagine! xo
Oh Mary, that picture is so beautiful – as was your post.
XOXO
You got me a little teary eyed Mary. I try often especially when I am overwhelmed with being a mom to step back and count my blessings. Always appreciate a reminder to do that… so glad you enjoyed this meal. It is a blessing that we all can afford to eat so well.
OK Mary, let’s first be grateful for the Francis Coppola bottle of wine. Then the tagine. Just kidding, what a beautiful post
and so true. It is wonderful to see the grandchildren go thru all the various stages and watch them grow up. Sorry to
say but it’s even sadder when they all turn twenty and are not little kiddies anymore. Have a wonderful weekend.
I am grateful to have read your blog:) I also enjoyed this one and I am grateful that I made it. You are right that recipes are better after you personalize them. Happy holidays.
How beautiful! This is a tradition I want to start with our kids in another year or so when they can really grasp the concept. Yay for team Red & Black Tagine! 😉
A beautiful post Mary – it is easy to whinge and easy to forget to be grateful. Wow, I never knew that Francis Coppola made wine.
Enjoyed this post immensely, Mary! I love your family tradition and tried more than once to start it with our family. I’ve not had as much success as I wanted…. Gary and I try to take a moment before dinner and express gratitude for something, often a delicious French Friday meal:) I’ve not tried this Coppola wine but one of my favorites is Sofia Blanc de Blancs from Coppola. And you can get it in pretty pink cans!!! I am still in Memphis with my young friend still in the hospital, though she is recovering. Also my mother in law had hip replacement surgery and is recovering. We hope to go home this weekend if all is well. I haven’t made this tagine but plan to do so before the end of the week. Its great to read everyone’s post before I attempt it!