Mrouzia

Ingredients

Meat

• 2 kglamb or mutton shoulder, on the bone, in large pieces

Marinade

• 3 tbspras el hanout
• 2 tspground ginger
• 1 tspground cinnamon
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tspblack pepper
• a good pinch of saffron
• 2 tspsalt

Pot

• 100 gsmen, or 100 g butter
• 3onions, grated
• 6 clovesgarlic
• 2cinnamon sticks
• 500 mlwater

Sweet

• 400 graisins, soaked
• 250 ghoney
• 2 tbspsugar

To finish

• 200 gblanched almonds, fried
• 1 tbspsesame seeds, toasted

To serve

• khobz, Moroccan bread

Directions

1. Rub the meat all over with the ras el hanout, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, pepper, saffron and salt. Cover and marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Melt the smen in a heavy pot or tagine and add the marinated meat, the grated onion, garlic and cinnamon sticks.
3. Turn the meat in the fat and spices over a low heat for 10 minutes. Add the water, cover, and cook on the lowest possible heat for 2 hours 30 minutes.
4. Keep it at the barest simmer throughout, and check it now and then rather than stirring. The meat should be falling from the bone and the onions should have dissolved completely into the sauce.
5. Cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat as it reduces. The sauce is ready when it is thick, dark and syrupy and coats the meat in a glaze rather than pooling around it.
6. Fry the almonds in a little oil until golden and drain them.
7. Serve the meat piled with the raisin sauce, scattered with fried almonds and toasted sesame.

Technique

• Smen is sold in Moroccan shops and a good one is aged for months or years.
• It keeps well over a week in the fridge and the flavour deepens.
• Mutton rather than young lamb is traditional and stands up better to the spicing.

Substitutions

• Butter, or ghee, in place of smen, which is milder and less characterful.
• A good shop-bought ras el hanout, of which there are many.

Variations

• Made with beef, which is less traditional.
• With prunes as well as raisins.
• Less sweet, with the honey halved, for modern tastes.

History

Devised to preserve Eid al-Adha mutton: heavy honey, smen and ras el hanout keep the tagine edible for weeks without refrigeration.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mrouzia?

Mrouzia is a main from Morocco: honeyed lamb tagine with raisins, almonds and ras el hanout. Devised to preserve Eid al-Adha mutton: heavy honey, smen and ras el hanout keep the tagine edible for weeks without refrigeration.

How long does Mrouzia take to make?

Mrouzia takes 30 min plus overnight marinating of preparation and 3 hr of cooking. The recipe makes 8 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Mrouzia?

Yes, within limits. Butter, or ghee, in place of smen, which is milder and less characterful. A good shop-bought ras el hanout, of which there are many.

What is the most important thing to get right in Mrouzia?

Keep it at the barest simmer throughout, and check it now and then rather than stirring. The meat should be falling from the bone and the onions should have dissolved completely into the sauce.