Prune Tagine from Rabat
Melting lamb slowly stewed with prunes candied in honey, perfumed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron, sprinkled with toasted almonds and sesame. The exact balance of sweet and savory, a signature of Moroccan cuisine.
Melting lamb slowly stewed with prunes candied in honey, perfumed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron, sprinkled with toasted almonds and sesame. The exact balance of sweet and savory, a signature of Moroccan cuisine.
I was born in Rabat, under a light one does not forget. This dish I knew as one knows an origin: through the senses before concepts. The secret, I was taught, is the patience of low heat—the meat must yield on its own, and the honey comes only at the end, so that sweet and salt meet without merging. See here a lesson: opposites do not cancel each other; they compose.
- •Lamb shoulder — in large pieces (meat)
- •Prunes — a generous handful (sweet note)
- •Honey — two spoonfuls (sweet binder)
- •Cinnamon, ginger, saffron — to perfume (signature spices)
- •Onions — several (melting base)
- •Almonds and sesame seeds — for sprinkling (crunch)
- •Orange blossom water — a dash (perfume)
Prune Tagine from Rabat
Melting lamb slowly stewed with prunes candied in honey, perfumed with cinnamon, ginger, and saffron, sprinkled with toasted almonds and sesame. The exact balance of sweet and savory, a signature of Moroccan cuisine.
Why this dish? Badiou was born in Rabat in 1937. This sweet-and-savory tagine, inspired by the great Moroccan tradition, evokes the light of his birthplace, the scents of cinnamon and orange blossom of his Moroccan childhood.
I was born in Rabat, under a light one does not forget. This dish I knew as one knows an origin: through the senses before concepts. The secret, I was taught, is the patience of low heat—the meat must yield on its own, and the honey comes only at the end, so that sweet and salt meet without merging. See here a lesson: opposites do not cancel each other; they compose.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lamb shoulder — in large pieces (meat)
- Prunes — a generous handful (sweet note)
- Honey — two spoonfuls (sweet binder)
- Cinnamon, ginger, saffron — to perfume (signature spices)
- Onions — several (melting base)
- Almonds and sesame seeds — for sprinkling (crunch)
- Orange blossom water — a dash (perfume)
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulder — 1 kg in pieces (meat)
- Pitted prunes — 300 g (sweet note)
- Honey — 2 tbsp (sweet binder)
- Cinnamon — 1 stick + 1 tsp ground (signature spice)
- Ground ginger — 1 tsp (spice)
- Saffron — 1 pinch (color and perfume)
- Onions — 3 sliced (melting base)
- Blanched almonds — 60 g (crunch)
- Sesame seeds — 1 tbsp (finishing)
- Orange blossom water — 1 tbsp (perfume)
Method
- Brown the lamb pieces in a little oil with the sliced onions.
- Add cinnamon, ginger, saffron, and a little water; cover and simmer on low heat for 1 h 30 until the meat is melting.
- Meanwhile, stew the prunes in a little water, honey, and ground cinnamon.
- Dry-toast the almonds until colored.
- Combine the lamb and prunes, add a dash of orange blossom water, let the sauce reduce for a few minutes.
- Arrange in the tagine dish, sprinkle with toasted almonds and sesame seeds.
How it was made : The sweet-and-savory lamb and prune tagine (*lham bel berkouk*) is a classic for special occasions in Morocco, simmered for hours in the conical earthenware dish that gives it its name. The combination of honey, dried fruits, and spices dates back to the refined cuisine of the medieval courts of the Maghreb and al-Andalus.
The contemporary twist : Garnish with a shower of almond petals and a drizzle of honey reduction, and serve with mint tea on the side.
Sources : Fatéma Hal, Les Saveurs et les Gestes — cuisines et traditions du Maroc
Alain Badiou · Charactorium