The Yummy Tajine Recipe

I followed my friend Lamyia around one night as she made a DELICIOUS tajine. When she told me she was making a tajine with beef and prunes I wasn't sure what to think. Prunes are OK, but making a meal out of them is a little bit odd to my American sense of cuisine. She is a fabulous cook though, so I'll try anything she makes. She didn't let us down that night either. It was one of the best meals I've had here. She served a delicious platter of tender meat topped with prunes that had been soaking in cinnamon and ginger. The dish was covered in a delicious sauce - a mix of parsley, garlic, onions, saffron, ginger and cinnamon. It was sprinkled with toasted almonds that added the perfect touch of crunch, and served with delicious bakery fresh bread to soak up all the sauce. Mmm.. I am making myself hungry! I described the dish to Dan one night when we went to this great local restaurant, and we both ordered it. Their version added apricots, dates, figs and sultanas (golden raisins) to make a scrumptious fruit medley with the prunes.

So for those of you who have already asked for the recipe, here it is! This is the version that Lamyia made - you'll have to guess on amounts if you want to add in the other fruits.

MEAT:
3 onions finely chopped
½ to 1 kilo (1-2 lbs) beef or lamb
parsley
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
½ tsp pepper
salt
1 tsp ginger
saffron (if available)
saffron coloring
cinnamon sticks
olive oil (3 Tbsp)
vegetable oil (a little)

FRUIT:
300 g prunes
4 sugar cubes
3 sticks of cinnamon
1 Tbsp ginger
1tsp pepper

DECORATION:
100 g almonds (sautéed or toasted)
1 Tbsp sesame seeds (optional)


1. Over low heat, brown the meat with the oil, the onions, salt, spices & minced garlic.
Add enough water to almost completely cover the meat (about 1 ¼ liters) and let simmer until the meat is cooked (about 40 minutes) and the water is reduced to the consistency of a sauce.

2. Put the prunes, sugar, cinnamon sticks, ginger and pepper in a second pot and add water to just cover the prunes. Cook over low heat until water is reduced and prunes are re-hydrated.

3. To serve, put the meat & sauce on a serving dish, cover with the prunes and top with the almonds and sesame seeds.

Happy Cooking!