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Dates Stuffed with Lamb - meat

Posted by : Lita Lotzkar

24 large, pitted dates
 3 oz. boneless lamb shoulder
 1 egg white
 1 pinch of salt
 1 pinch of pepper
 2 Tsp. olive oil
 3 Tbsp. pomegranate juice (see recipe, below)
 3 Tbsp. water

Preparation:

 a. Grind the meat very fine, then mix it with egg white, 
    the salt and the pepper

 b. Carefully enlarge the cavity in each date with a clean, 
    pencil-shaped tool

 c. Fill the dates with the meat

 d. Mix the water with the pomegranate juice

 e. In a pan, cover the filled dates with the liquid

 f. Simmer on LOW for about one hour, occasionally adding 
    water if needed, then drain;

 g. Fry the filled dates in the olive oil on LOW, until they 
    swell up.

Serves 4-6

Pomegranate Juice

INGREDIENTS:

12 pomegranates
 1 tsp. salt

 Preparation:

 a. Cut the pomegranates in half, retrieve all the seeds, and 
    discard the rest of the fruit; (the shell)

 b. Press out the juice of the seeds, using a sieve and a 
    pot

 c. Add the salt, cover, then boil the juice over low heat 
    for one hour

 d. Chill the juice, then transfer it into a glass container

Serves 6

Source:  The Bible Gourmet

Archivist's note: Dates Stuffed with Lamb is a specialty of
the Jews of Fez, Morocco for festival occasions.

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