Venison Tajine
My first memory of this dish was in the wintertime. I was working on a yacht docked in the port of Nice, France. The head Stewardess, Carole, was native to the area and had a fondness for dishes from North Africa. One day, Carole requested to make dinner and took over the galley. She used a traditional cut of lamb shank and neck. The spices and bright depth in the resulting sauce countered the unctuous fatty lamb in a happy yin and yang of flavors. I recall having seconds and thirds atop a pile of fluffy couscous studded with surprises of dried fruit and the aromatics of cardamom and virgin olive oil. Enjoy with flatbread or a crusty baguette.