El ham lahou (Ramadan lamb)

---

Cooling down

This lamb stew is eaten in Algeria after a day of fasting during Ramadan. This recipe is served at room temperature, so don't forget to adjust your cooking times accordingly.

Having mode this delicious dish, it's evident that the butter or ghee is an important ingredient in this fairly rich dish, It would not be the same with less.

Ingredients

• 50 g butter
• 900 g lamb, cut into 6cm (2½”) pieces
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 750 ml water or stock
• 50 g sugar
• 12 dried prunes, soaked in water for one hour
• 2 tablespoons raisins
• 2 tablespoons whole almonds, blanched
• 1 firm pear, peeled and cut into wedges
• 30 ml orange flower water

Method

1. Melt the butter in a pan, add the lamb and saute over low heat for 5 minutes.
2. Add the cinnamon, water or stock and sugar and mix well.
3. Increase the heat to moderate and cook (covered) for about 40 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
4. Drain the prunes and add them to the lamb with the raisins, almonds and pear.
5. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange flower water.
7. Allow to cool a little.

Serving suggestions

Serve at room temperature with couscous or rice or salad and bread.

Chef's note

As usual, I didn't read the recipe properly when shopping and bought a small leg of lamb. I removed the meat from the bone, but have included the bone in the cooking process just for the flavour.

I used a few substitutions when I made this:

• Ghee instead of butter
• jaggery instead of sugar
• The chopped flesh of half an orange with the grated zest of a third of an orange instead of the orange flower water.