moroccan lamb stew with apricots

Lamb

Moroccan Lamb Stew with Apricots

The lamb gets mellow from cooking until tender, and the warm spices take away any overly “lamby” flavor. The apricots, cilantro, and pine nuts are a wonderful combination. This stew took very little time or effort--very nice for a complex-flavored dish like this. This would be great with crusty bread, served over couscous, or with chickpeas added in for a heartier meal.

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups finely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
2 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 cup dried apricots, halved
2 (3 inch) orange peel strips
1 tablespoon honey
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup toasted pine nuts

Directions

Combine lamb, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cardamom, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl; toss together until lamb is evenly coated.
Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or tagine over medium heat. Add onions; cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, and cinnamon; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add seasoned lamb; cook, stirring frequently until light brown, being careful not to caramelize, about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, until the lamb is just tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Stir in apricots, orange peels, and honey; continue to simmer over low heat, uncovered, until the liquid has thickened slightly and lamb is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard cinnamon sticks and orange peels.
Divide evenly among 4 bowls. Garnish each bowl with a tablespoon each of cilantro and pine nuts.