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.


Recipes · Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes · Stews · Lamb


Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 1 hrs 55 mins
Servings: 4
Total Time: 2 hrs 25 mins
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Ingredients List

  • 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

  1. Combine lamb, coriander, cumin, paprika, cayenne, cardamom, turmeric, and salt in a large bowl; toss together until lamb is evenly coated.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Divide evenly among 4 bowls. Garnish each bowl with a tablespoon each of cilantro and pine nuts.

Cook's Note:

I used olive oil for the fat in this recipe but ghee is also used commonly used.


Nutrition Facts (per serving)

Nutrition Facts
553 Calories
25g Fat
41g Carbs
45g Protein


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