Moroccan night...Lamb (Pork) Tagine with Honey and Apricots

Moroccan Lamb/Pork Tagine with Apricots and Honey
 

• 2 lb (1kg) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat (about 1 1/2 pounds or 750 g), I used pork loin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 TBSP vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 C diced onions
• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 C chicken broth
• 8 threads Spanish saffron, crushed
• 16 fresh cilantro sprigs, tied together with a cotton string
• 1 C dried, pitted apricots
• 1/2 C golden raisins or dried cranberries
• 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 TBSP honey
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
• Cilantro/coriander green sprigs, for garnish

Moroccan preserved lemons...short and long method

Preserved lemons are one of the indispensable ingredients of Moroccan cuisine. Fragrant meat tagines, chicken dishes and salads are nicely infused by their unique taste. The silky texture cannot match that of its fresh counterpart. Therefor there is no substitute. If you  do not have preserved lemons that your recipe calls for, wait patiently and 5 days later you will have a very similar silky fruit with its unique seductive flavor and texture.

Moroccan preserved lemons (5-day method)

It takes approximately 3-4 weeks to make the true Moroccan preserved lemons that will keep refrigerated for 6-12 months. The recipe below yields almost identical results and is much faster but the fruit dos not keep that long. If you want to make the "real" thing, scroll down for another recipe, please.

With a razor blade, make 8 fine 2" (5cm)- long incisions around the peel of each lemon to be used. Do not cut deeper than the membrane that protects the pulp. Place the incised lemons in a stainless-steel saucepan with plenty of water and 1TBSP salt per lemon to cover and boil until the peels become very soft. Place in a clean jar, cover with cooled cooking liquor, and leave to pickle for approximately 5 days.

Moroccan Preserved Lemons (1-month method...the best)

5 organic lemons                                                              bowl

1/4 C salt or more                                                             sterile jar

Optional but highly recommended

1 cinnamon stick

3-5 cloves

3-5 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

Additional freshly squeezed lemon juice