This traditional Moroccan lamb stew includes apricots! Quite unique, and remarkably good!

Moroccan Lamb Stew Recipe-

Ingredients:

For the Lamb-

(Note: You can also use goat meat, which is used equally as much as lamb in Morocco)

• 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• 1-1/2 to 2lb. lamb shoulder cuts, chopped into bite size cubes
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1) 14 oz. can plum tomatoes, chopped
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 oz. dried apricots, roughly chopped
• 1/2 tsp. of Mehr saffron (mehr saffron is the best type of saffron for this dish, if you want authentic results)
• lamb stock

For the Spice Mixture-

• 1 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground cilantro (coriander)
• 1 tsp. ground ginger
• 1.5 tsp. smoked paprika
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• Half tsp. ground chili powder
• Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns

To Garnish-

• 4 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro *coriander)
• 1 tsp. of Harissa paste (a must ingredient for the authentic Moroccan recipe flavor)
• zest and juice of half a lemon
• 1 tbsp. honey

Serve With-

• 10-12 oz. pumpkin, peeled, chopped into ½” to ¾” cubes and roasted in olive oil with a little seasoning.

Directions:

1. Over medium heat, put the olive oil in a large casserole or saucepan. Once the oil is well heated, add in the onion and sauté for just one minute, or until nice and translucent.
2. In a proper sized bowl, mix together well all the spice ingredients. Now add in the lamb pieces and toss them in the spices until they are well coated on all sides.
3. Going back to the frying dish or pan, add in the spiced lamb and garlic. Fry until the garlic is browned and fragrant and the lamb cubes are seared and browned on all sides.
4. Now stir in the saffron, apricots, chopped tomatoes, and cinnamon stick, and just enough stock to cover the meat cubes. Raise the heat until the stock is boiling, then reduce to where it is cooking at a mild simmer.
5. You will want to let the lamb cook for a good hour, maybe more, until it is very tender. Stir the mixture often, using a wooden spoon, and if the stock level get lower than the level of the meat cubes, add in more as needed. If the stew seems too watery toward the end of the hour (or so) cooking, simply drain off some of the excess liquid into a saucepan, and reduce it over medium high heat until thickened, then return it to the stew.
6. If you are new to Harissa paste, taste a little dab to see how it affects your palate. Then stir into the stew 3 tablespoons of the chopped fresh coriander, juice, honey, lemon zest, and the teaspoon (more or less, depending on your tastes) of Harissa paste.
7. Serve your Moroccan Lamb Stew with roasted and cubed pumpkin, and sprinkle the remaining chopped fresh coriander over the top.

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