Lamb Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon

Our new favorite tajine :-))





Serves 4

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, mashed
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
Kosher salt
about 1kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer (optional)
several cups of water
2 large carrots, roughly sliced
1 large onion, in thin slices
1 cup pitted green olives
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
a handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of 1 lemon


In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Take out the meet from the fridge, sprinkle with meat tenderizer, mix and let it rest for 5min.
Add a tiny bit of oil to a wok, heat it up well and brown the marinated lamb, several pieces a time. Reserve.
In a large pot, add a bit of olive oil and slowly brown the sliced onion. Add the carrots and the browned meat. Pour some water until it covers about everything, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours.
Stir in the olives, parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Check the seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.