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Moroccan Style Lamb with Eggplant
This is another great recipe from the best of the San Francisco Chronicle. The combination of the lamb and eggplant with the rich and wonderful lemon infused sauce is just amazing. Meaty lamb shanks or leg meat are cooked in aromatic liquid before being roasted over slices of eggplant. I think the original recipe over weighted the lamb relative the eggplant, so I've adjusted accordingly. If you prefer a higher concentration of meat, feel free to readjust. Either way, you will NOT be disappointed! Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 small lamb shanks, or 3 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder on the bone, cut into 12 chunks, or 2 1/2 pounds boneless leg of lamb cut into 12 chunks
- 2 medium-large onions, chopped
- 5 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 pinches of saffron threads
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, to taste
- 1 1/2 cups beef or vegetable broth
- 2 medium-large eggplants, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
- 1/2 tsp corn starch
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
- Garnishes
- 4 tablespoons blanched skinless almonds
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and saute until browned on all sides. Add the onions, garlic, cumin, paprika, saffron, cilantro, ginger, cayenne, black pepper and salt. Cook for a moment or two, then pour in the broth and enough water to just about cover the ingredients. Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours, or until the meat is quite tender and the liquid has evaporated by about half.
- Transfer the cooking liquid to a saucepan and skim off the fat if desired. Brush the eggplant slices very lightly with the remaining I tablespoon oil; broil on both sides until almost tender.
- Arrange the eggplant in a large, shallow baking dish and top with the lamb. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the top has browned.
- Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of the cooking liquid and add back to the pan. Boil the cooking liquid over high heat, stirring, until reduced by half (10-15 minutes). Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Saute the almonds in the butter in a small skillet over medium heat until they are golden.
- Remove lamb and eggplant from the oven, pour the sauce evenly over the top, then finish with the almonds and cilantro . Alternatively, serve the almonds and cilantro in small bowls and let your guests add them to taste.
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Reviews
This was richly flavored and delicious over the barley and aspargus. I highly recommend it!
I would only immerse the cut eggplants in salt water for a minimum of an hour before preparing the dish. Funny thing is, they don't get watery. They just lose the bitter taste. Rinse them well, so they don't have too much salt and pat dry. Then, proceed as you normally would.
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