Tagine mqfoul marrakchi (lamb with caramelised onions)

Method

1. 1

   Season the meat in the tagine or a heavy-based pot with the olive oil, ginger, turmeric, black pepper, saffron, salt and two cinnamon sticks, and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring, until lightly browned and the spices are fragrant.

2. 2

   Add the grated tomatoes with half the onions and the hot water, cover and cook the meat over low heat for 1–1¼ hours until tender enough to fall apart with a fork and the sauce has thickened.

3. 3

   Set the meat aside, then lay the remaining onion slices over the sauce with the ground cinnamon and the two remaining cinnamon sticks; cover and cook over low heat for about 25 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

4. 4

   Add the honey and gently stir the onions, then cook uncovered over low heat for 10–15 minutes until they caramelise to a glossy deep golden colour with a jam-like consistency.

5. 5

   Return the meat to the pot, spoon the honeyed onion layer over it and sprinkle with toasted sesame, then serve hot in the tagine dish with Moroccan bread; this is one of Marrakech’s best-known celebration tagines.