Moroccan cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Tajine Malsouka bel Lahm

Braised lamb shoulder with onions and almonds, wrapped in thin warqa sheets and baked until crisp.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 700 g lamb shoulder (boneless)
• 10 sheets warqa pastry (or substitute phyllo dough)
• 3 onions
• 100 g almonds (blanched)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 pinch saffron threads
• 1/2 bunch flat-leaf parsley
• 2 eggs
• 80 g butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Cut the lamb into rough cubes, finely dice the onions and dissolve the saffron threads in 3 tbsp hot water.
2. Heat the olive oil and 20 g butter, brown the meat for 6 min., add the onions, cinnamon, ginger, saffron water, salt and pepper, pour in 300 ml water and braise covered for 60 min. until the meat falls apart.
3. Shred the meat with two forks, reduce the liquid uncovered down to a few spoonfuls, stir in the beaten eggs and let set for 2 min. over low heat.
4. Toast the almonds in a dry pan for 3 min., chop roughly and mix with the chopped parsley into the meat mixture; let everything cool.
5. Butter a 24 cm springform pan with melted butter, lay six warqa sheets overlapping in a star pattern, fill with the mixture, cover with the remaining sheets and tuck in the edges.
6. Brush the surface generously with butter and bake at 200°C top/bottom heat for 25–30 min. until the pastry shell is golden and crisp; rest for 5 min. and cut into pieces.