meat and potato tajine (m'chermel)

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people :

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

* 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of potatoes * 1 grated onion * 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper

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

* 150g (5 oz) of butter * 1 handful of chopped coriander

Preparation: 

First, be sure to choose potatoes that will not boil to a mush Peel and cut them into pieces the size of a walnut and put in bowl of water as they are prepared Cut the meat into pieces weighing about 150 g (5 oz), rinse and put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with salt, pepper, saffron, grated onion and butter. 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 Rinse the potatoes and sprinkle with salt, pepper, a pinch of saffron and the chopped coriander. Mix well and put in the sauce. Add enough water to cover and cook with the lid on over a moderate heat. When alinost cooked, let the sauce boil down until it becomes thick. Check the seasoning and remove the saucepan from the heat when the potatoes are cooked.

Just before serving, put the meat back in the saucepan without crushing the potatoes and re-heat without boiling down the sauce any further. Arrange the meat and the potatoes on a round dish with the sauce poured over the top and serve at once.