Crusty Chicken/Beef/Lamb/Turkey Tagine

By AnnieMro

Ingredients

• 2 cups Basmati rice
• 2 1/2 cups water
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 cups onion, chopped
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 lbs. ground lamb, beef, chicken or turkey
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne
• 3 cups washed, stemmed and sliced spinach
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh mint
• 1/2 cup each: chopped dried apricot, pine nuts
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. butter

Preparation

Step 1

Wash rice. Place in a pot with water. Bring to a boil, turn down heat, cover and simmer 15-20 mins. Season with salt, pepper and cilantro.

Heat olive oil in skillet on medium heat. Add onion and saute until softened, 3 mins. Add meat, garlic, paprika, cinnamon and cayenne. Saute until meat is cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach and stir-fry 1-2 mins. Stir in mint, apricots, pine nuts and lemon juice. Cook together 1 more minute. Set aside and wipe out skillet. Heat butter in same skilelt, Remove from heat and add half of rice, spreading it evenly on the bottom and up sides. Layer with all of meat mixture. Finish with remaining rice. Make a hole down thru the centre of the mixture with a wooden spoon. Cover, place on very low heat and cook for 35 mins. Loosen sides. Set bottom of skillet into cold water for 2 mins. to help loosen crust. Uncover, place a serving plate on top of rice and reverse mixture onto plate. Crusty side will be up.