Recipe - Lamb Tagine With Dates And Pearl Onions

10 ounce Pearl onions
2 tablespoon Vegetable oil
3 pound Boneless lamb
shoulder or stew meat
cut into 1 1/2" pieces
5 tablespoon Parsley, chopped
One fourth cup Cilantro, chopped
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon Ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon Crushed saffron threads
1 One half cup Water (approx)
8 ounce Pitted dates
2 tablespoon Honey
2 tablespoon Slivered almonds, toasted

Cook onions in medium pot of boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain, rinse
under cold water and peel.

Heat vegetable oil in heavy Dutch oven over mediumhigh heat. Working in
batches, season lamb with salt and pepper, add to Dutch oven and brown,
about 4 minutes per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb to bowl after
each batch is browned. Return all lamb and any juices to Dutch oven. Mix in
chopped parsley and cilantro, cinnamon, ginger and saffron. Add 1 cup water
and cup pearl onions. Reduce heat to mediumlow. cover and simmer until
lamb is tender, about 1 hour.

Using slotted spoon, transfer lamb and pearl onions to bowl. Reserve 3
dates for garnish; add remaining dates and honey to sauce in Dutch oven.
Simmer sauce for 5 minutes, mashing dates to coarse puree with back of
fork. Add remaining pearl onions and simmer until almost tender, about 5
minutes. Mix in remaining cup water if necessary to thin sauce. Return
lamb mixture to Dutch oven; simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to platter. Top with slivered
almonds and reserved dates.