This comes from Cooking at the Kasbah : Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen
by Kitty Morse. See my review
of this marvelous cookbook. The author prefaces the recipe with:
"Mrouziya is traditionally served during Aid el Kebir,
the religious feast that commemorates the sacrifice of Abraham. The
word itself is derived from Maurusia, the name the ancient Greeks gave
to northwest Africa. The exquisitely seasoned dish, redolent with
the exotic ras el hanout spice blend, is based on a centuries-old
recipe.
"'You can't hurry mrouziya,' said my neighborm Naima Lakhmar,
as she lit the coals in a canoun, or small charcoal brazier, in
Dar Zitoun's atrium early one morning. The rhythmic sound from her
heavy brass mortar reverberated through the house as she vigorously pounded
spices to make ras el hanout. She slowly added her intoxicating
blend to the heavy black pot atop the canoun that held the other
ingredients. Exotic aromas drifted through the house over the next
few hours, as Naima periodically stirred the contents of the pot until
the sauce had turned the color of dark caramel."
Mrouziya (Honey Spiced Lamb)
Serves 6
4 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into large chunks
3 tablespoons ras el hanout spice blend (see below)
2 to 3 cups water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons smen (see below)
1/2 cup honey
3/4 cup raisins, plumped in warm water and drained
1 cup (5 ounces) whole blanched almonds, toasted (see
below)
Hobz Belboula or other crusty bread for serving
Preheat the oven to 325F. With your hands, thoroughly
coat the meat with ras el hanout. Set the meat in a heavy
cast-iron pan or an enameled casserole with a heavy lid. Add the
water, the oil, smen, and honey. Cover tightly. Bake
until the meat falls off the bones, 3 to 4 hours.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to an ovenproof
dish and keep warm. Skim the fat from the sauce. Place the
casserole over medium-high heat and add the raisins. Cook, stirring,
until the sauce attains the consistency of maple syrup, 10 to 12 minutes.
Return the meat to the sauce. Stir to coat and heat through.
Transfer meat to a shallow platter and garnish with
the toasted almonds. Serve with extra sauce on the side, and warm
bread.
Smen (Aged Butter)
"Smen, an aged butter similar to Asian ghee,
is a prized flavoring ingredient in Moroccan dishes. Smen
is made from clarified butter, dried herbs, and salt. It is aged
in small earthenware pots in a cool, dry place until it acquires an aroma
and consistency similar to Roquefort cheese. Berber farmers in southern
Morocco bury a tightly sealed pot of smen on the day of a daughter's
birth, unearthing it years later to flavor the couscous served on her wedding
day. Berber tradition notwithstanding, I suggest you use the smen
within six months. A teaspoon or two is usually all that is required
to impart the characteristic taste to a dish of couscous or to the sauce
of a tagine. You can substitute equal parts butter and olive oil
in place of smen in a recipe, if you prefer."
Makes 1-1/2 cups
1 pound unsalted butter
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 tablespoon sea salt
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low
heat. Wrap the oregano leaves in a square of cheesecloth and tie
it closed with kitchen twine. Set the sachet in the butter.
Simmer until the butter turns into a clear golden liquid and the white
sediment settles on the bottom, 25 to 30 minutes. Skim off the foam.
Discard the oregano sachet. Strain the butter through a clean fine
muslin dish cloth once or twice until clear. Transfer to a hot sterilized
wide-mouthed pint glass jar. Add the salt and mix well. Let
stand in a cool place until the butter becomes pungent, 1 to 2 weeks.
Refrigerate after opening. Use within 6 months.
Ras el hanout (Moroccan spice blend)
"There must be as many recipes for ras el hanout
as
there are spice vendors in Morocco. The name itself, which translates
as "top (or head) of the shop," refers to the best combination of spices
the seller can provide. Si Brahim, our spice vendor in Azemmour,
incorporates thirty-four spices, dried roots, so-called aphrodisiacs, and
other mysterious and unusual items. I prefer to use Naima Lakhmar's
more easily prepared, less elaborate recipe. She toasts all her ras
el hanout ingredients before grinding. You can usually find blade
mace, dried ginger root, and dried turmeric root in Middle Eastern markets."
Makes about 1/4 cup
1 teaspoon allspice berries or 1-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 whole nutmeg or 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
20 threads Spanish saffron
2 teaspoons black peppercorns or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground
black pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons blade mace* or ground mace
1 three-inch cinnamon stick or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons cardamom seeds or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cardamom
2 two-inch pieced dried ginger or 2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons salt
1 two-inch piece dried turmeric or 1 teaspoon ground
If using whole spices, put all the ingredients in a nonstick
pan over medium-high heat and toast, stirring constantly, until the mixture
emits a pleasant aroma, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let
cool. (This first step is not necessary if using commercially ground
spices.) Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, reduce the
ingredients to a fine powder. Sift to remove fibrous elements.
Place in a tightly sealed container and store in a cool, dark place, or
in the freezer.
*Blade mace, also called mace blades, is the lacy,
scarlet aril covering the nutmeg. It turns light brown as it dries.
It is better know in its powdered form as ground mace.
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the authors.
This comes from Cooking at the Kasbah : Recipes from My Moroccan Kitchen
by Kitty Morse. See my 
