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This is a really wonderful dish – one of my favorites for winter. The aromatic spices balance perfectly with the sweetness of the apricots, the heat from the cayenne pepper, and the acidity from the tomatoes. The flavors melds together wonderfully as the lamb slowly braises. The result is extremely tender meat in a richly flavored sauce. Plus, your home will smell wonderful as it cooks! A great dish for entertaining – folks always want the recipe for this Moroccan lamb stew.
Looking for other Moroccan recipes or lamb recipes? Here are a few of my favorites: Moroccan Lamb Meatballs, Spicy Lamb Biryani, or Lamb Ragu.
Notes on Moroccan Lamb Stew
The first time I had Moroccan lamb was probably about 6 years ago at Le Diplomate, my favorite DC restaurant. It’s not uncommon to see this dish on French menus (sometimes labeled as tangine). I still order it from time to time but I’ve also taken to making my own. I’ve tried many recipes over the years but this one remains my favorite. It’s adapted from Epicurious. I’ve made only minor modifications. It’s one of those keepers I wrote down in my little red recipe book book that I reserve for my very favorites.
Suggested Pairings
I always serve this dish with couscous, a bit of Greek yogurt, and really thinly sliced English cucumber. I slice the cucumber with my food processor or mandolin. Sometimes I make a cucumber salad with a little lemon juice, dill, and salt. Anyways, I like the combination of flavors, textures, and colors.
To drink, I’d recommend a medium to full body red or an IPA. We went with a Spanish rioja but I think Syrah would be nice too.
Moroccan Lamb Stew
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Total Time: 2 hours 10 mintues
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Stew
- Method: Braise
- Cuisine: Moroccan
Description
This hearty exotic stew is perfect for a cold winters night. It’s adapted from Epicurious.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon fennel seed
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoons black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- zest of 1 lemon
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup dried apricots
- 1 14 oz can cherry tomatoes
- 1 15 oz can chickpeas
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- couscous, Greek yogurt, fresh chopped dill, and English cucumber for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Combined meat, cumin, coriander, cardamom, fennel seed, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Toss until meat is evenly coated with the spices. Set aside for 10 minutes or more while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Heat approx. 3 tablespoons of olive oil in large dutch oven. Brown meat in batches over medium heat adding more oil as needed. It should only take 1 to 2 minutes a side. When meat is brown on all sides, transfer to a clean bowl or plate.
- When you are done browning the meat, add onion to the pot and cook in the drippings for 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, lemon zest, and tomato paste and cook 2 minutes more.
- Add the chicken stock, apricots, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil and than reduce to simmer. Cover the pot and cook 1 hour and 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove lid, cook 20 minutes more.
- Serve in large bowls with couscous and a bit of Greek yogurt.
Keywords: Moroccan, lamb, stew, chickpeas, apricots
