Marrakech Tanjia

Cut the lamb shoulder or shank into large pieces, about 5–6 cm, without trimming off all the fat. Peel the cloves from a whole head of garlic, and rinse the preserved lemon, cut it into quarters, and if desired remove the flesh, leaving just the peel.

Place the lamb in a deep clay tanjia pot or a heavy ovenproof pot with a lid. Add the garlic, preserved lemon, smen, olive oil, cumin, saffron, salt and black pepper.

Pour in 500 ml of water and stir so the spices coat the meat evenly. Don't add onion, tomatoes or other vegetables: tanjia is made with minimal ingredients, cooked in its own rich sauce.

Cover the pot tightly with the lid and place it in an oven preheated to 150°C for 5–6 hours. If cooking in a traditional tanjia pot, it is sealed and simmered in hot ashes or a bakery oven; at home, steady low heat replicates this method.

After 5 hours, check the meat: it should pull apart easily with a fork, and the liquid should be dark, glossy and slightly thickened. If the lamb is still firm, cook for another 30–60 minutes.

Turn off the oven and let the tanjia rest, covered, for 20 minutes so the juices redistribute evenly.

Serve hot with the garlic, pieces of preserved lemon and the sauce, traditionally with Moroccan bread for dipping into the meat juices.