meat and date tajine

Ingredients for 1  1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of shoulder or rib of mutton, cut into pieces weighing about 150 g (5 oz) :

* 750 g (1 lb 10 oz) of very fresh Tafilalet dates * 1 soupspoonful of grilled sesame seeds

* 200 g (7 oz) of almonds * 1 heaped teaspoonful of pepper

* 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (mixed packed saffron and crushed flowers) * 1 stick of cinnamon

* 2 soupspoonfuls of thick honey * 2 medium-sized grated onions

* 200 g (7 oz) of butter * 1 heaped teaspoonful of cinnamon

Preparation: 

Rinse the pieces of meat, put in a thick-bottomed saucepan, with salt, pepper, saffron, grated onions, butter and the stick of cinnamon. Cover with water and cook on a moderate heat, stirring from time to time. Add water if necessary.

Towards the end of cooking, when the meat is almost tender, add the honey and cinnamon. Allow to boil down, turning the pieces of meat over so that they are impregnated with the honey sauce. Remove the meat from the saucepan. Put the well-rinsed dates in the sauce, adding a little water if the sauce is too thick, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Put the pieces of meat back in the sauce to re-heat, taking care not to crush the dates. The sauce should be thick and rich. Remove from the heat after checking the seasoning.

It is advisable to put the dates on to cook at the last minute so that they remain whole and firm, Skin the almonds and fry in oil 15 minutes before serving. Re-heat the date tajine on a slow heat, then arrange on a round dish with the dates on top of the meat and the fried almonds and grilled sesame seeds scattered over the top. Pour the sauce over and serve.