Moroccan Lamb Tagine

Moroccan Lamb Tagine -

Tagines are Moroccan slow-cooked meat, fruit and vegetable dishes which are almost invariably made with mutton. Using lamb cuts down the cooking time, but if you can find good hogget (older than lamb, younger than mutton, commonly labeled 'baking legs' and sold cheaply) that will do very well.

Ingredients:

 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
 2 pounds lamb meat, cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
 2 teaspoons paprika
 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
 1 teaspoon kosher salt
 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 1 pinch saffron
 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
 2 medium onions, cut into 1-inch cubes
 5 carrots, peeled, cut into fourths, then sliced lengthwise into thin strips
 3 cloves garlic, minced
 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
 1 lemon, zested
 1 (14.5 ounce) can homemade chicken broth or low-sodium canned broth
 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste
 1 tablespoon honey
 1 tablespoon cornstarch (optional)
 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Directions:

Place diced lamb in a bowl, toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and set aside. In a large resealable bag, toss together the paprika, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, salt, ginger, saffron, garlic powder, and coriander; mix well. Add the lamb to the bag, and toss around to coat well. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add 1/3 of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb. Add onions and carrots to the pot and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken broth, tomato paste, and honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender.
If the consistency of the tagine is too thin, you may thicken it with a mixture of cornstarch and water during the last 5 minutes.