Meat tajine (with eggs and almonds)

Ingredients for 6 to 8 people

• 1 1/2 kg (3 lbs 5 oz) of meat (mutton shoulder and chops or veal knuckle)
• 200 g (7 oz) of almonds
• 6 hard-boiled eggs
• 1 teaspoonful of pepper
• 1 coffeespoonful of saffron (mixed packet saffron and crushed flowers)
• 2 grated onions
• 1 small bunch of coriander tied together
• 1 heaped soupspoonful of chopped coriander
• 150 g (5 oz) of butter

The tajine is the traditional dish prepared for weddings, circumcisions and other important festivities.

Cut the meat into pieces weighing about 150 g (5 oz) rinse, and put in a thick-bottomed saucepan with salt, pepper, butter, saffron, grated onions, skinned almonds and a small bunch of coriander which should be removed when the meat is done.

Cook with the lid on, stirring from time to time. Add water if necessary.

Towards the end of cooking, add the chopped coriander and boil down the sauce until it becomes thick. Remove from the heat when the meat is cooked and breaks off easily in the fingers.

Re-heat just before serving and arrange in a round dish with the almonds and the hard-boiled eggs cut in half lengthways on top. Pour the sauce over.

NB. The almonds can be fried in oil just before serving and added to the dish at the last minute, instead of being cooked with the meat.