This week's French Garden recipe

People who know me would tell you that it's hard to tell which I like more: gardening or cooking. I'd say it depends on which I'm doing at the moment. Anyway, French cooking and French gardening go hand in hand. For me, cooking is an on-going adventure. Join me here on my culinary explorations, where I share with you both my old favorites as well as new inspirations. It's my fondest wish that these recipes serve as a springboard for your own new creations.

05/13/2008
Lamb tagine with bitter orange and honey   Clay pot 

Ingredients:

1 lamb shoulder, boned and cut into 2" chunks
2 T. butter
1 onion, grated
1 t. ground cinnamon
A 2" piece of cinnamon bark
1/2 t ground ginger
1/2 t. ground coriander seed
Large pinch saffron stamens or 1/4 t. ground saffron
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 t. salt
6" fresh bitter orange peel or regular, organic orange peel, or 2 T. dried bitter orange peel*
1/4 c. black raisins + 1/4 c. golden raisins
1/4 c. dark honey, such as thyme honey
2 T. butter
4 large onions, cut in half and thinly sliced
2 T. dark honey, same as above
Juice of one bitter or regular orange
1 T. orange blossom water
Chopped fresh coriander leaves for  garnish

*The bitter orange, or bigarrade, has a thick, bumpy skin, sour juice, and lots of seeds.  It is available in specialty markets in late winter and will keep in the refrigerator for at least 2 months.  Dried bitter orange peel is sold in Iranian or Persian groceries, cut into thin pieces about half an inch long.

This dish is best made in an unglazed clay tagine pot.    A daubiere also works quite nicely.  Alternatively, use another clay cooking pot, or as a last resort, an enameled iron pot.  Melt 2 T. butter over low heat.  Add the grated onion, spices, salt and pepper and combine thoroughly.  Add the lamb chunks and turn to thoroughly coat with the onion-spice mixture. Add the orange peel.  If you are using a metal pot, add 1 c. water. Cover and bring to a simmer over very low heat.  Cook for 1 hour, turning the meat occasionally and monitoring moisture levels.  Add water or lamb broth (if you have some) as needed.  Add the 1/4 c. honey and the raisins and continue simmering 1/2 to 1 hour or until the meat is very tender and the sauce reduced so it coats the meat.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a heavy skillet over medium-low heat.  Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently for at least 30 minutes, until the onions are dark and jammy.  Stir in the 2 T. honey.  Gently stir the onion jam, the orange juice, and the orange blossom water into the tagine.  Cook 5 minutes more and serve in shallow bowls, topped with chopped fresh coriander.

Note:  Bitter orange peel has a heady perfume that is absolutely delicious in cooking.  If you can't find it, you can substitute regular orange peel.  This luscious tagine becomes nearly caramelized and needs no accompaniment other than some good crusty bread.

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Products of Interest:
Provençal daubière