Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 2 lbs. boneless lamb from the shoulder or leg, cut into smallish cubes
- Olive oil, butter or ghee
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 1 tsp. birch-smoked salt (TFD change, original was kosher salt)
- 1 tsp. freshly ground coriander
- 1 tsp. freshly ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground long pepper (TFD optional change, original was black pepper)
- 1/2 tsp. Ceylon cinnamon (TFD optional change, original was cinnamon)
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. freshly pulverized mastic
- 1/4 lb. dried Blenheim apricots, whole (TFD optional change, omit for original)
- chicken stock as needed - homemade preferred, or low-salt store-bought
- 2 oz. freshly-ground Marcona truffled almonds (TFD change, original was almonds)
- 1/2 lb. dried Blenheim apricots, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes, boiled 5 minutes, and pureed in a blender
- Bulgarian rose extract to taste - start with just a few drops and adjust from there!
- ***
- pinch of saffron
- large pinch of ras-el-hanout (TFD optional change, not in original recipe)
- ***
- Garnish:
- chopped Italian parsley and/or cilantro (TFD optional change, not in original recipe)
- steamed rice or couscous
Instructions
- Heat olive oil, butter, or ghee in a dutch oven. Add the diced onions to the pot, stir, and cook on low heat until golden brown.
- Stir in the ground spices and salt. Add the cubed lamb and whole apricots to the pot and stir until everything is totally coated in the spices and onion. Sauté for 3 minutes.
- Add enough stock to the Dutch oven so that the meat and apricots are covered. Increase the heat and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 1 hour until the meat is cooked through and tender (lamb is fully cooked once it reaches 145 degrees F).
- Meanwhile, prepare the apricot puree. Moisten the ground almonds with a little of the puree, and add, with the rest of the apricot mixture, for the last ten minutes of cooking.
- Taste and season as desired with more smoked salt and long pepper. If to watery, let it simmer uncovered until it thickens. If too thick, add a bit more stock.
- CAREFULLY add a few drops of rose extract, then add saffron and ras-el-hanout, stir.
- Remove from heat, cover, and let stand in a warm place at least 5 minutes before serving. Serve with garnish and rice or couscous.