tajine of meat with artichokes (MquaIIi) and kidney-beans

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 artichokes * 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) of fresh kidney-beans

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

* 1 crushed garlic clove * 1 ladleful of groundnut oil * 1 pickled lemon

* 10 preserved olives * the juice of 1 lemon

Preparation:

Peel the artichokes with care, using the hearts only which should be put in a bowl of water and vinegar as soon as they are ready. Clean the kidney-beans and remove the sprout, without peeling them, and put on one side, Cut up the meat into pieces weighing about 150 g (5 oz), rinse and put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with the ginger, saffron, garlic 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, Rinse the kidney-beans place in a saucepan with half the meat sauce, cover with water so that they do not discolour and cook with the lid on. When cooked, boil the sauce down until it becomes thick. Check the seasoning.

Meanwhile cook the artichokes in the remainder of the sauce with sufficient water added to cover. Boil the sauce down when the artichokes are cooked to make it thick. Then put the meat, kidney-beans and artichokes back into the thick-bottomed saucepan, adding the zest of pickled lemon, cut in quarters, and the preserved olives. Let the sauce boil for a few seconds and then remove from the heat. Serve hot with the meat underneath the vegetables on a round dish and the sauce poured over. Decorate with the lemon zest and olives.