Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Berber Lamb in Olive Oil

* Exported from MasterCook *

Berber Lamb in Olive Oil - North African

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 16 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Condiment LowCal (Less than 300 cals)
LowerCarbs

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
1 1/2 pounds boned lamb leg and saddle
3 tablespoons coarse sea salt
2 teaspoons dried mint flakes
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
2/3 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons harissa -- middle eastern hot pepper paste
2 garlic cloves -- minced
1 1/2 cups olive oil -- approximately

Wash and dry the lamb. Cut into 1/4-inch thick slices, then press with the
palm of your hand to flatten.

In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, or in a mortar, grind the
salt, mint, caraway seed, and turmeric to obtain a fine powder. Transfer
to a bowl and add the harissa and garlic. Add 2 to 3 teaspoons or more
olive oil to make a thick paste.

Rub the lamb slices with the paste on all side. Transfer to a pan, cover
with plastic wrap, and let sit for 2 to 3 hours at room temperature or
overnight in the refrigerator. (If you have refrigerated the lamb, leave
it at room temperature for about 1 hour before proceeding further.)

Preheat the oven to 200F. Place the lamb slices on the oven rack and let
them dry for 2 hours. Turn the lamb and leave in the oven for another 1
1/2 to 2 hours, or until it firm and cooked through.

In a small, deep frying pan, warm about 2 inches of oil. Add the lamb and
deep fry for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the pieces. Remove
and drain on paper towels to cool slightly.

Pass the frying oil through a fine-meshed sieve lined with a double-layer
of cheesecloth.

Pack the lamb sliced in a 1-quart jar. Pour 1 cup of the frying oil over
them and top with almost another cup of fresh oil. Seal and keep in the
refrigerator.

This will keep in the fridge for 6 months.

Makes 1 quart (4 cups, 16 one-quarter cup servings)

AuthorNote: In the Berber villages of Southern Tunisia, on the edge of the
Sahara Desert, people live very frugally. During the growing season they
try to preserve as much food as they can - usually by salting and drying
in the blazing sun - to sustain them during the dry months when there is
hardly anything for their sheep and goats to graze on. For example, they
often preserve little pieces of meat or fish to cook in their highly
spiced vegetable stews and to add flavor to couscous, their staple food,
with which the stew is served.

The following is my own adaptation of a recipe for preserved lamb given to
me by Aziza Ben Tanfous, the curator of the Houmt Souk National Museum in
Djerba and an expert on Berber food.

In Mani, the southernmost peninsula of the Peloponnese, in Greece, people
prepare pork in a similar way, but with just coarse salt. The half-dried
pork pieces are then kept in olive oil until they are used.

Add pieces of Berber Lamb to vegetable stews, tagines, sauces, and soups
to give them extra flavor.

Cuisine:
"MidEastern"
Source:
"Mediterranean Pantry: creating and using condiments and seasonings by
Aglaia Kremezi, 1994"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Feb 2011"
Yield:
"1 quart"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 260 Calories; 26g Fat (89.5%
calories from fat); 6g Protein; 1g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 23mg
Cholesterol; 1077mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1 Lean Meat; 0
Vegetable; 4 1/2 Fat.

Nutr. Assoc. : 3837 4860 0 0 0 0 0 0