Moroccan Lamb Stew With Dried Cherries And Lemon Recipes

Steps:

• Trim excess fat and gristle from meat and cut lamb into 1-inch cubes. Place meat in a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the cumin, ginger, cinnamon, and saffron; sprinkle over the meat and set aside.
• On a cutting board, mince together the orange zest, cilantro leaves, garlic, and salt until you have a paste. Add to the meat along with the orange juice and stir well to coat. Cover the bowl and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
• Transfer the mixture to a heavy pot, add the onions, tomatoes, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer (or bake in a preheated 350 degree oven) until the meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Add olives and, if using, preserved lemon to the pot. Cook about 10 minutes more, then serve.
• Wash a 1-pint glass-canning jar and its lid with hot soapy water; rinse and dry thoroughly.
• Cut 6 of the lemons, 1 at a time, into quarters through 1 end without cutting all the way through the other end. You want the lemon to open out like a flower, but not to separate. Place the lemon on a large piece of parchment or waxed paper, spread quarters open and sprinkle flesh with a heaping tablespoon of kosher salt; put the lemon into the jar. Continue with remaining lemons, sprinkling salt on each. Pack the lemons in the jar tightly, filling it to the top (you may need more or less than 6 lemons, depending on their size). When you reach the top, lift the parchment and pour the excess salt from it into the jar of lemons.
• Slide the bay leaves down opposite sides of the jar. Juice the remaining lemons 1 by 1, adding juice to the jar, until it reaches the top. Seal jar, shake well, and let stand at room temperature, shaking well every 12 hours, for 1 week. After 1 week, transfer jar to the refrigerator, continuing to shake every day. Lemons are preserved after 3 weeks and keep up to several months in the refrigerator.
• To use lemons, pull out as needed and scrape away pulp. Dice peel and use as a condiment.

Steps:

• Rehydrate the cherries in a bowl with about a cup of warmed stock. Let soak until needed.
• 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.
• 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.
• Serve over couscous, mixed with a few chopped Kalamata olives. Top with toasted sesame seeds and enjoy with a glass of Cabernet Franc.
• Notes:
• 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!
• I toasted the ground coriander in a frying pan until it was smoky & fragrant.
• I used beef broth, and lemon zest.

Steps:

• Make marinade:
• Crush juniper berries and mince garlic cloves. In a large bowl stir together garlic, wine, and juniper berries.
• Trim lamb and cut into 2-inch cubes. Stir lamb into marinade. Marinate lamb, covered and chilled, at least 12 hours and up to 1 day. In a large sieve set over a bowl drain lamb, reserving marinade.
• Chop onions and mince garlic. In an 8-quart heavy kettle heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook onions with garlic, cinnamon, and saffron, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened. With a slotted spoon transfer onion mixture to a large bowl.
• Pat lamb dry and season with salt and pepper. In kettle brown lamb in batches, without crowding, over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, transferring as browned with a slotted spoon to bowl with onion mixture. Return lamb and onion mixture to kettle and add reserved marinade, demiglace, and jelly. Simmer mixture, covered, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes.
• Peel, quarter, and core quinces. Cut quarters lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. With a vegetable peeler remove zest from lemon in lengthwise strips. Diagonally cut celery ribs into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
• Add quince and zest to lamb mixture and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until quince is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in celery and cranberries and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until celery is tender, about 15 minutes. Season stew with salt and pepper. (Stew may be made 1 day ahead and cooled completely before being chilled, covered.)
• Serve stew with couscous.

Steps:

• Mix the cumin, coriander, salt, fennel seeds, cayenne, and pepper in a large bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the lamb to the skillet and cook until browned on all sides, turning occasionally and adding 2 more tablespoons oil to skillet between batches, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the lamb to another large bowl after each batch.
• Add the onion and tomato paste to the drippings in the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium; sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, beans, apricots, tomatoes, cinnamon sticks, ginger, and lemon peel and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Return the lamb to the skillet and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is just tender, about 1 hour. Uncover and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer the lamb and sauce to a bowl. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.
• The STEW can be prepared 1 day ahead through step 2. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and keep chilled. Rewarm over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.