meat and kidney bean tajine (mqualli)

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people :

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

* 3. kg (6 lbs 10 oz) of kidney-beans

* 1 heaped teaspoonful of ginger

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

* 1 ladleful of groundnut oil

* 1 crushed garlic clove

* the zest of a pickled lemon

* 1 dozen preserved olives

Preparation:

Cut up the meat in pieces of about 150 g (5 oz), rinse and place in a thick-bottomed saucepan with salt, saffron, ginger, garlic and oil. Cover with water. 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 kidney-beans in the sauce, after having removed the sprout, add extra water and leave to cook with the lid on. When the kidney-beans are cooked,add the preserved olives and pickled lemon zest cut in pieces. Boil down to a rich consistency and then re-heat the meat and kidney-beans in the sauce. Remove from the heat Arrange the meat on a round dish with the kidney-beans on top and decorate with the olives and lemon zest. Pour the sauce over and serve very hot.