Our friends had us over for dinner and served Moroccan Chicken Tagine—a delicious stew made with chicken, Moroccan spices, olives, orange peel, and more, all cooked in a tagine (a traditional clay pot).

To our delight, they gifted us a bag of the Moroccan spice blend they used in the dish. Since then, we’ve used it on chicken legs and in this recipe for leg of lamb. They actually brought the spice back from a recent trip to Morocco—genuine!

The Moroccan spice they gave us is nearly finished, and after some research, we discovered that there are many variations of Moroccan spice blends you can mix yourself, including Ras el Hanout. Beyond its vibrant colour and fragrance, Moroccan spice also offers health benefits.

The leg of lamb, the star of this recipe, came from our Lamb Guy at the Bargteheide Friday farmers’ market.

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3kg (5.5–6.5 lb) leg of lamb
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 5-6 cloves of garlic, peeled and left whole
• Moroccan spice, QB

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F) on the convection setting.
2. Lay the onions, carrots, and garlic on the bottom of a roasting pan, then pour in about 1/2 cup of water.
3. Score the leg of lamb.
4. Rub the Moroccan spice over the meat. We suggest using a disposable glove to prevent staining your hand.
5. Bake uncovered for approximately 5 hours, or until the lamb reaches an internal temperature of 71°C (160°F), adding water if necessary to keep the base from drying out.
6. It should be pull-apart tender.
7. To make a sauce, crush the garlic in the pan, then strain the juices. Remove most of the fat from the drippings and return the juices to the pan. Add a little beef or chicken stock if there isn’t enough liquid. Thicken with cornstarch.