Essential to Moroccan cuisine, Ras el Hanout translates as “Top of the Shop” and rarely contains less than 12 ingredients and may have as many as a hundred.  It has a flavor that can be difficult to describe yet suggests many things. It is used to season tagines, rice, couscous, and pairs especially well with lamb and poultry.  


     Gryffon Ridge's Ras el Hanout contains  Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Rose Petals, White Pepper, Mace, Turmeric, Ginger, Long Pepper, Fenugreek, Black & Green Cardamom, Nigella, Galangal, Mustard Seed, Grains of Paradise, Allspice, Sichuan Pepper, Cloves, Anise Seed, Ajwain, Chiles, Lavender, and Bay Leaf.  Several of these spices are roasted lightly in a dry wok to release the oils. 
     There are several recipes out there for this wonderful blend but my favorite happens to be a slow cooked Lamb Shoulder. 
For The Lamb: 

• 4#  Bone-in Lamb Shoulder, patted dry

• 2 T.  Maine Sea Salt Fine

• .25 c. Olive oil

• .50 c. Ras el Hanout

• 3 Fresh Carrots, cut length wise

• 1 Fennel Bulb, cut in quarters

• 1 Head of Garlic

• 1 Preserved Lemon

• 2 T. Unsalted Butter

1.  Ideally, you prep the shoulder the night before by pre-salting and pre-spicing as a dry brine. Place the shoulder in a roasting pan large enough that the lamb fits comfortably but not to large that it evaporates to fast. The pan needs to be at last two inches deep. Salt lamb, rub with oils then season. Place vegetables around the meat and place butter on top, cover with foil and let rest overnight in refrigerator. 

2.   Allow meat to come to room temperature before roasting, this will take about 2 hrs. Preheat oven to 425 F. Roast shoulder at this heat for 20 minutes, then lower temp to 275 F, add 2 cups of water and cover. Cook at this temp for 12-14 hours. Please feel free to baste during this time period. 

3.   During the last hour of cooking, uncover the dish; allow some remaining moisture to evaporate, producing a desirable crust on the surface of the meat. Allow shoulder to rest before serving, at least 30 minutes. 

We tend to serve this with a nice rice and roasted vegetables.


    On another note, we spent this past weekend walking through the New York Fancy Food Show. All I can say is wow!

What a overwhelming few days. We have decided that we will be attending this show as a vendor next year; which means that some items in the company will be changing and evolving.  Looking forward to the next chapter.