tajine of mquaIIi besbas(fennel ) with meat

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people :

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

* 2 kg(4 lbs 7oz) of fennel

* 1 teaspoonful of ginger

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

* 1 garlic clove

* 3/4 ladleful of groundnut oil

* 1/2 teaglassful of lemon juice (more or less to taste)

* 10 preserved olives

* 1 pickled lemon

* 1 teaspoonful of flour

Preparation: 

Cut each bulb of fennel in 4 lengthways after having removed the outside pieces. Put in water with a little vinegar Cut the meat into pieces about 150 g (5 oz) and put in thick-bottomed saucepan after rinsing. Add salt, saffron, ginger, the crushed garlic, oil and 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. Rinse the fennel and put in the sauce. Add sufficient water to cover and cook with the lid on, When almost cooked, add the pickled lemon zest, cut in quarters, the olives and the lemon juice. Bind the sauce with the flour blended with a little water and let it boil down until it becomes thick.

Put the meat back in the sauce without breaking up the pieces of fennel and heat it through. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat. Arrange the meat on a round dish with the fennel on top. Decorate with the olives and lemon zest and pour the sauce over. Serve at once.