Moroccan Braised Lamb
Our go-to for Purim
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