Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds and Pistachios

I absolutely adore stews, especially exotic ones. I recently bought a book of Tagines, which are Moroccan stews made in a tagine, a special conical stewpot.

I finally bit the bullet and bought a tagine (the stewpot) from www.cooking.com. It's made by Staub, whoever they are, and is a French import. It's ceramic, and not all that stovetop friendly. I had to buy a heat diffuser at Bed, Bath & Beyond, to protect its delicate bottom. Nevertheless, I just tried my first tagine in it. OMG. Jeff says it's just about the best thing I've ever made. Wow! And yes, it was VERY tasty. Pretty calorific, but it's not like I'm going to eat it every day.

So herewith, is the first tagine I've made, for your consideration. You don't need a tagine pot to make it, but it sure helps.

Note: the nutritional info does not include the couscous, or a salad. You're on your own there.

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	Lamb Tagine with Dates, Almonds, and Pistachios From "Tagine: Spicy Stews from Morocco," by Ghillie Basan   3 tbsp   olive oil   1 tbsp   butter   2 med   onions, finely chopped   1 tsp   ground ginger   2 tsp   ground turmeric   2 tsp   ground cinnamon   2.25 lbs   lean lamb loin, cubed   16 ea   dates, pitted   1 tbsp   honey   1 tbsp   olive oil   1 oz   blanched slivered almonds   .5 oz   shelled pistachios       1 Heat the olive oil and butter in a tagine. Stir in the onions and saute until golden brown. (With the Staub tagine, this takes about half an hour.) 2 Stir in the turmeric, ginger and cinnamon. Toss in the meat, making sure it is coated in the spice mixture. 3 Pour in enough water to almost cover the meat, and bring to a boil. (I heated a Hot Shot cup, and that was just right.) Reduce heat, cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours. 4 Add the dates and the honey. Cover again and simmer for another 30 minutes or so. (I tacked on about 20 minutes.) Season with salt and lots of cracked pepper. 5 Heat the olive oil in a small pan. Stir in the almonds and pistachios and cook until they begin to turn golden brown. Scatter the nuts over the lamb and dates and sprinkle with flatleaf parsley, if desired. 6 Serve with buttery couscous (or that fixed with olive oil) and (per the cookbook)) a sharp, crunchy salad with preserved lemon to cut the sweetness.   Servings: 4   Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 serving Percent daily values based on a 2000 calorie diet. Nutrition information calculated from recipe ingredients.           Amount Per Serving       Calories   676.31   Calories From Fat   292.65       % Daily Value Total Fat 33.19g   51%   Saturated Fat 8.98g   44%   Cholesterol 211.89mg   70%   Sodium 121.43mg   5%   Potassium 840.93mg   24%   Carbohydrates 38.35g   12%   Dietary Fiber 5.61g   22%   Protein 57.88g   115%   Vitamin A 148.19IU   2%   Vitamin C 4.66mg   7%   Calcium 97.90mg   9%   Iron 6.47mg   35%   Vitamin E 4.23IU   14%   Thiamin 0.51mg   34%   Riboflavin 0.99mg   58%   Niacin 19.01mg   95%   Vitamin B6 0.62mg   30%   Folate 20.81µg   5%   Vitamin B12 5.82µg   97%   Pantothenic Acid 1.54mg   15%   Phosphorus 607.69mg   60%   Magnesium 93.48mg   23%   Zinc 6.65mg   44%   Created using The Living Cookbook recipe management software. Visit www.livingcookbook.com for more great recipes.