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.
05/19/2008
Lamb tagine with wild greens and preserved lemon (Tagine d'agneau aux herbes sauvages et au citron confit) 
Clay pot
Ingredients:
1 lamb shoulder, boned and cut into 2 1/2" chunks
2 T. olive oil
1 t. ground cumin or black cumin* seed
1/2 t. ground turmeric
1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 large pinch saffron stamens or 1/4 t. ground saffron
1 onion grated
1 t. sea salt plus more to taste
1 1/4 lb. mixed wild edible greens** or a mixture of spinach, chard, arugula, and celery leaves
Rind of 1/2 to 1 preserved lemon***
3 T chopped fresh coriander leaves
*Black cumin is a highly aromatic relative of regular cumin that is available in Iranian and some Indian groceries. Use a mortar to grind the seeds.
**I used a mixture of leaves of wild mallow (Malva sylvestris--mild sweet favor, mucilaginous texture); maidenstears (Silene inflata--rich smooth flavor, like spinach without acidity); and lamb's quarters (Chenopodium album--smooth flavor). All three of these plants are naturalized in almost all of the United States. Always consult a reliable manual when gathering edible wild plants.
***Preserved lemons are available in middle eastern groceries or you can make your own very easily. Consult Paula Wolfert's Couscous and other Good Food from Morocco.
The best pot to make this dish is an unglazed clay tagine dish. Second choices include a glazed tagine dish, or any other shallow clay casserole with lid. Third choice is an enameled iron casserole. In this last case, you will have to add bits of water or lamb broth to the mixture as it cooks to prevent it from becoming dry.
Gently heat the tagine or other clay pot over medium heat on a flame tamer. Add the olive oil, the spices, the salt, andthe grated onion and combine thoroughly. Add the meat chunks and turn them to coat them well with the onion spice mixture. Cover the pot and cook over low heat one hour, turning the meat occasionally and moderating moisture level. The meat should exude enough moisture to cook in a thick sauce. It should not boil covered in liquid. Regulate accordingly.
Meanwhile, stem and sort the greens. Wash them thoroughly in three changes of water and drain them. In a covered heavy casserole, cook them in the water clinging to the leaves, using tongs to turn them occasionally, until they are just thoroughly wilted--about 5 minutes. Turn them out into a colander, and when cool enough to handle, squeeze them vigorously dry by handfuls. Chop the greens medium fine.
Scoop the pulp out of the preserved lemon with a spoon. Cut the rind in small dice.
Continue cooking the meat until it is meltingly tender, making sure to monitor the moisture level. Depending on the quality of your lamb, this should take an additional 20-40 minutes. Add the chopped greens to the tagine and combine gently. Cover and cook another 10 minutes. Gently stir in the preserved lemon rind. Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander and serve with crusty bread.
Note: Wild greens are delicious and much more nutritious than any cultivated green. Plus, they are frequent garden weeds!! They are at their tender best before they bloom (usually April-early June in most areas.) The mixture I used made for a velvety smooth, richly flavored and utterly delicious tagine that remains faithful in flavor to the spirit of the Mediterranean.
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Products of Interest:
Provençal mortar and pestle
Shade-tolerant--Tree mallow
Provençal daubière
Lettuce 'Merveille des Quatre Saisons'
Porte-lettres