This ancient Berber dish is prepared around March or April in Morocco, when both green almonds and fava beans are seasonally available. The lamb is slow-cooked with ground mace and finished with the almonds, the beans, and a generous helping of sauteed onions.

I know next to nothing about traditional Moroccan cuisine and the recipe looked simple enough, so why not? I was more interested in cooking with green almonds, though, because I have only tasted it raw.

After a brief simmer, the almonds reminded me of crunchy green beans, which went rather nicely with the creamy favas and fork-tender lamb. The broth, with nothing but mace and onions, had a surprisingly deep flavor, but not so strong that it overpowers the almonds and favas.

recipe adapted from Claudia Roden’s The Book of Jewish Food
Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Maninas

Agneau aux Fèves Vertes et aux Amandes
Lamb with Fava Beans and Green Almonds

makes about 6 servings

Mace (from The Spice House) and Fresh Fava Beans.

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
2 cups water
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground mace

2 onions, chopped
1 cup green almonds
3 cups shelled fava beans, about 1 pound
1 tablespoon honey

Notes:

• I honestly can’t tell the difference between mace and nutmeg. Feel free to use one in place of the other if you agree. Mace is supposedly milder.
• The original recipe suggests using blanched almonds instead of the green almonds.

Green almonds.

Directions:

1. In a large heavy pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium heat. Add the pieces of lamb and brown until evenly colored on all sides.
2. Add the water, salt, pepper, and mace. Bring to a boil and immediately lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover and braise for about 2 hours, adding more water if necessary.
3. Start sauteeing the onions towards the end of braising. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and saute the onions, just until golden. Stir in the green almonds.
4. Add the onions and green almonds, along with the fava beans, to the lamb. Stir in the honey and continue cooking over low heat for about 15 minutes, just until the favas are soft and cooked through. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Trying a completely random recipe pays off sometimes.

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Lamb with Fava Beans and Green Almonds

Similar Posts:

1. Sautéed Morel Mushrooms and Fava Beans
2. Dal Makhani (Kali Dal) – Buttered Black Gram Beans
3. Mung Beans and Sticky Rice in Coconut Milk
4. Ginataang Gulay – Vegetables Simmered in Coconut Milk
5. Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa
6. Hobakjuk – Korean Pumpkin Porridge

Inspired by this New York Times article about seven new sandwiches, I felt like making something I have never tried before. The Chili Mackerel Man Tou (Chinese steamed bread) and Knish Press sandwiches sounded really interesting but sounded a bit too complicated for a quick mid-afternoon snack. I have never tried Merguez sausages and had freshly baked homemade baguettes on hand, so I immediately knew what to make from the article.

The Merguez sausages used were a mixture of beef and lamb. There was a faint hint of heat from paprika and cayenne, but the addition of harissa should quickly crank the heat level towards incendiary.

Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa

For the Moroccan Harissa:

recipe from The New York Times

Notes:

• I’m considering replacing my bottle of Sriracha with harissa. It seems to go well with, uh, anything.

To make the sandwich:

Merguez sausages
olive oil
crusty bread
tomatoes, thinly sliced
cucumbers, thinly sliced
green olives, chopped

Pan-fry the Merguez sausages in a bit of olive oil over medium-high heat. Lightly toast the bread if desired.

Assemble the sandwich and drizzle with a bit of harissa. I would go into more detail about the mechanics of proper sandwich construction but that’s probably not necessary, is it?

This is a post from Apple Pie, Patis, and Pate
Sandwich Merguez Au Harissa

Similar Posts:

1. Croque Madame – Grilled Cheese, Ham, and Egg Sandwich
2. Cremini Mushroom Toast
3. Lamb with Fava Beans and Green Almonds