Québec Lamb Tacos with Pickled Squash
If you’re looking for a perfect combination of citrus and savour, you need to try Chef Christopher Kassab’s Quebec Lamb Tacos with Pickled Squash. This is a great dish to have for dinner or to share with friends and loved ones as an appetizer.
Servings: Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients
Québec Lamb Tacos:
- 500 g deboned lamb shoulder
- 1 sweet onion, sliced
- 5 mL salt
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
- 5 mL cinnamon
- 5 mL cumin
- 15 mL cocoa powder
- 1.5 mL Sambal chili paste
- 4 California prunes
- 30 mL clementine or orange juice
Pickled Butternut Squash:
- 500g of Québec butternut squash, peeled and julienned
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 60 mL sugar
- 15 mL salt
- 180 mL white vinegar
- 500 mL water
- 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
Directions
- Combine lamb, onion, salt, garlic, cinnamon and cumin in a dutch oven with a tight fitting lid.
- Place in a preheated 250°F oven, and bake for 5 hours, or until lamb is tender and pulls apart easily with a fork.
- Once the lamb is done, set aside in a separate bowl, and place the cooking liquid, including parts of the onion, in a small saucepan.
- Stir in the cocoa powder, chili paste and prunes. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 mins, allowing the liquid to reduce. Meanwhile use two forks to shred the lamb, gently pulling it apart.
- Remove from heat and blend sauce until smooth. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon, easily. Add in the citrus juice, and the lamb. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Pickled Butternut Squash
- Combine all the ingredients, except squash, in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile place squash in a heatsafe container. Once the pickling liquid has come to a boil and the salt and sugar have dissolved, pour over the squash and let sit for 30 mins, before covering and placing in the fridge over night.
- Store refrigerated, in a well sealed jar, for up to 1 month.
For tacos, serve lamb in a soft taco shell, with sliced cabbage (coleslaw mix works well), crème fraiche, pickled squash, sliced California Prunes and a pickled Jalepeno, if you enjoy a bit of spice.
Why it pairs with California prunes:
- balances the bitterness, and deepens the flavour of the dark chocolate
- adds earthiness
- adds a hint of sweetness and enhances the toastiness
