meat and green pea tajine

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people :

* 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of meat (mutton shoulder and chops or veal knuckle)

* 2kg (4 lbs 7 oz) of fresh green peas * 1 teaspoonful of ginger

* 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (mixed packet saffron and crushed flowers)

* 1 ladle ful of groundnut oil * 1 pickled lemon * 10 preserved olives * salt

Preparation:

Cut the meat into pieces weighing about 150 g (5 oz), rinse and put them in a thick-bottomed saucepan with salt, saffron, ginger and oil. Cover with water and cook with the lid on, stirring from time to time. Add water if necessary, When the meat is cooked and breaks off easily in the fingers, take it out of the saucepan and put on one side.

Put the shelled green peas in the sauce, adding sufficient water to cover, and cook with the lid on over a moderate heat. When the green peas are almost cooked, add the pickled lemon zest, cut in pieces, and the olives. Leave the sauce to boil down until it becomes thick, Be careful not to over-cook the green peas as it would make the sauce too thick.

Just before serving, put the pieces of meat back in the sauce to re-heat, adding a little water if too much liquid has been absorbed by the green peas, Arrange the meat on a round dish with the green peas on top and decorate with the olives and lemon zest. Pour the sauce aver and serve at once.