Moroccan Lamb Stew With Dried Cherries And Lemon

Total Time: 2 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 8 ounces pitted dried cherries (trader joe's)
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 4 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons toasted ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 1 pinch saffron thread
• 2 teaspoons preserved lemons, chopped (or the zest of 2 lemons, finely chopped)
• 3 -4 cups rich dark stock (beef,lamb or roasted chicken)
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Recipe

• 1 rehydrate the cherries in a bowl with about a cup of warmed stock. let soak until needed.
• 2 in a large, heavy saute pan, heat 2 t olive oil with 2 t butter over high heat. season the lamb with salt and pepper and saute in batches, not overcrowding the pan, so all sides are browned. transfer to a large saucepan or casserole. continue this process until allo the lamb is well browned.
• 3 reheat the saute pan over medium-high heat. add olive oil and saute the onions to translucent, about 10 minutes. add the spices and cook until the aromas start to come up, 2-3 minutes. deglaze with some of the stock and add this to the pan with the lamb. add the remaining stock and bring to a boil. reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes. add the rehydrated cherries with their soaking liquid and the preserved lemon (or lemon zest). continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes more, or until the lamb is very tender. add the honey and season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
• 4 serve over couscous, mixed with a few chopped kalamata olives. top with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy with a glass of cabernet franc.
• 5 notes:
• 6 this dish has a lot of butter. by mistake, i only used 2 t, in stead of ½ cup next time, i wouldn't use any at all. there is enough olive oil & liquid from the lamb to sufficiently cook the lamb without the butter. this will cut calories by a lot, too!
• 7 i toasted the ground coriander in a frying pan until it was smoky & fragrant.
• 8 i used beef broth, and lemon zest.