Tagine of Lamb, Chickpeas and Potatoes

Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes
   Lamb with a Moroccan influence: a bit spicy, but not hot (my preference).  Add hot sauce or harissa if you like the heat. 

 Ingredients:

• 14oz (420gr) lamb, shoulder or leg
• 2 medium potatoes, (10oz, 300gr)
• 1 red onion
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 cups (15oz (450gr) chickpeas
• 1/3 cup green olives
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/2 cup (4oz, 120ml) chicken stock
• pinch of saffron threads, crushed optional
• 2 tbs parsley
• 1 tbs olive oil

 Instructions:

• Slice onion. 
• Mince garlic.
• Cut lamb into large pieces and trim excess fat.  
• Heat oil in large skillet or tagine. 
• Add lamb and brown well.  Remove to a plate. 
• Add onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, ginger, and sauté until onion is tender and starting to brown. 
• Return lamb to tagine, add stock, reduce heat and braise for 30 minutes. 
• Cut potatoes into quarters. 
• Add saffron to skillet and stir well. 
• Tuck potatoes around lamb, cover and braise 20 minutes longer. 
• Drain and rinse chickpeas. 
• Cut olives in half. 
• Add chickpeas, olives, parsley and braise 10 minutes longer. 
• Uncover, admire for a few moments, inhale the aroma, spoon meat and vegetables onto a platter and serve.