Hey friends! Last week we celebrated Purim, and in an effort to organize the family recipe binder I hope to pass along to my girls one day, I’m finally typing up what I’ve been making every single Purim since we became a family that needed one. This recipe is delicious, relatively easy, and has such a rich, complex flavor — I promise, your people will be impressed. You don’t have to wait until next Purim to make it, though in this economy, it stays a chag recipe for us, reserved for special occasions. One more thing: the leftovers are even better than you can imagine.

Moroccan Braised Lamb

Print Recipe

Our go-to for Purim

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 4

Servings 8 servings

Equipment

Dutch Oven

Ingredients

1 boneless lamb shoulder (4-5 pounds)
kosher salt
¼ cup olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
3 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 teaspoons ras el hanout (see note below)
1 cup red wine
3 cups broth of choice
¾ cups dried apricots, coarsely chopped
¾ cups pitted prunes, coarsely chopped
½ cup almonds, chopped
freshly ground black pepper
½ cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

Season lamb on all sides with kosher salt. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to cooking. Alternatively, you can season and refrigerate overnight, then allow to sit at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb, fat side down, and cook undisturbed, until fat renders and bottom is a deep brown, about 10 minutes. Flip the lamb, and continue turning occasionally, until golden-brown on all sides, another 10 minutes. Transfer lamb to a plate.
Add onions, carrots, and celery. Season with salt, and cook until the vegetables are browned and softened. Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, ras el hanout, and freshly ground black pepper. Cook until fragrant.
Add red wine, and scrape up any fond from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by about half. Add in broth. Return the lamb, fat side down to the Dutch oven. Bring to a boil.
Cover and transfer pot to the oven. Braise for 90 minutes. Flip the lamb, cover, and braise for 1-2 more hours.
Increase oven temperature to 400 °F. Stir in apricots, prunes, and almonds into braising liquid. Return to the oven and braise uncovered for another 20 minutes.
Transfer lamb to a cutting board, tenting with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 30 minutes. Then shred the lamb into large chunks, return to pot. Stir well to incorporate, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve with a side of rice. Happy Purim!

Notes

I can never find ras el hanout in the stores, so here’s a quick recipe that yields 4 teaspoons, exactly what you’ll need for this recipe. I just blend this up in a tiny mixing bowl, add it to the Dutch oven when it’s called for. You’re welcome:

½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
¼ teaspoon ground coriander seed
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground turmeric

I like to serve this dish with a side of rice. Though a crusty bread, couscous, or a salad could also work. We’re a dead animal, starch, and a green family, so my husband prefers either rice or couscous.