Time Stretcher Recipe ™
CLOSE THE WINDOWS. If you have the kitchen window open when you cook this everybody within 100 yards (meters) of your house is going to want to join you for dinner. This is Boggie and Bergman, Sam the piano player, and every vision you’ve ever had of Casablanca packed into a slow cooker.
ONE POT and so easy your kids can cook it. Do the prep the night before in 15 minutes. Right before leaving for work toss it into the crock pot, or, use our really cool low temperature oven trick. It’ll be done when you get home from work.
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Stewing Lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes, 6 ounces per serving. Get to know your butcher, he’ll not only give you the best lamb (it’s actually the “nasty” stuff from an older critter with lots of connective tissue) but he/she will cut it into chunks for you.
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Sharp storage onions (don’t use sweet or Vidalia onions, they’ll ruin the dish) one medium onion per serving, sliced and separated into rings.
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One peeled carrot per serving cut into 3-inch long chunks.
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One half sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes per serving.
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Dried apricots, 3-4 per serving, cut into raisin-sized chunks.
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Raisins, 1 tbsp per serving.
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Dried dates, 2-3 per serving, cut into raisin-sized chunks.
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Chef Nick’s Tagine Blend, 1 tbsp per serving.
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Corn starch, 1 tsp per serving.
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Olive oil as needed for browning the meat and onions.
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One cup of any kind of good stock or red wine for pan deglazing.
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You can do this in a Dutch Oven or a slow cooker (crock pot). In either case set the thing that makes heat (oven or slow cooker) to 210°F (99°C), essentially just barely below a boil.
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Put the Chef Nick’s blend and the corn starch in a zip bag, close, and shake until it’s really well mixed.
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Put ALL the meat in the zip bag and shake until it’s well coated with the corn starch/Chef Nick’s mixture. If ALL of the mixture is not stuck to the meat then put the meat in a bowl, toss with a little olive oil and put it back into the zip bag and shake. Repeat this process until ALL the mixture is stuck to the lamb.
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Put the Dutch oven (or a frying pan if you’re using a slow cooker) on the stove on medium-high heat with some olive oil. When the vessel is hot, add the coated meat and “stir fry” until all sides of the meat are very lightly lightly browned. Remove the meat to a plate or bowl.
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Deglaze the pot/pan and add the onions. Cook over medium heat until they are just barely turning translucent (don’t overcook them). Remove half the onions to a plate or bowl. Don't completely dry the pan when deglazing, you need a cup of liquid when your done.
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Put the meat on top of the onions still in the pot. Then put the rest of the onions on top of the meat. Then put in the carrots and finally the sweet potatoes. Add the liquid left over from deglazing. If you'll be gone for more than six hours, add another half cup of water.
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Put a lid on the pot (or on the crock pot) put the pot in the oven (or set the temperature of the slow cooker) and go away for 8 or 9 hours (longer won’t really hurt anything, but it’s done in six to eight). No, we have not forgotten the fruit.
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OK… home from work? Add the fruit and forget about it until you want to eat, then put it in a large, pretty bowl for family-style serving. It is traditionally served in a shallow bowl with crusty bread. Very strong unsweetened tea is the traditional beverage.
Because Tagine is essentially a self-thickening stew it pretty much has its side dishes built-in. We suggested serving it with a simple oven or griddle warmed flat bread, such as pita, for soaking up the gravy. If you want to have something between bites to tone-down the intensity of the flavors sliced cucumber is traditional.