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L'ham Lahlou (Sweet Lamb Tagine with Dried Prunes, Apricots, and Orange Blossom)
Tender morsels of lamb simmered in a spiced cinnamon-sugar syrup enriched with plumped dried fruits and fragrant orange blossom water.
The story
Hailing from the historic urban centers of Algiers, Constantine, and Tlemcen, L'ham Lahlou ('sweet meat') is traditionally prepared on the first evening of Ramadan to herald a sweet and peaceful holy month, as well as at high-status wedding banquets. Historically rooted in medieval Andalusian-Arab sweet-and-savory court cookery, this tagine balances rich lamb with a clarified fruit syrup. A classical culinary rule demands that prunes are steamed separately prior to joining the pot; cooking them directly in the main syrup would turn the pristine golden sauce dark and muddy.
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