Lamb Tagine w/Apricot and Olive

By Bellacucinam

Ingredients

• 1 (3 1/2-to 4-pound) boneless lamb shoulder roast , trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium onions , halved and sliced pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick pieces
• 4 (2-inch-long) strips zest from 1 lemon, trimmed of white pith
• 8 medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 8 teaspoons), plus 2 medium garlic cloves, mashed to a fine paste
• 2 1/2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 pound carrots (about 6 medium), peeled and sliced 1 inch thick
• 2 cups pitted Greek green olives , halved
• 1 cup dried apricots , chopped medium
• 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup juice from 2 lemons
• 1/2 teaspoon grated zest from 1 lemon

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from egg.cooksillustrated.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pat the meat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the lamb and brown well on all sides, 7 to 10 minutes; transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon more oil and the remaining lamb; transfer to the bowl.

2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the pot and return to medium heat until shimmering. Add the onions, lemon zest strips, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook over medium heat until the onions are softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic, paprika, cumin, ginger, coriander, cinnamon, and cayenne and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

3. Slowly whisk in the broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the honey and browned lamb with any accumulated juice and bring to a simmer. Cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook for 1 hour.

4. Stir in the carrots and continue to cook in the oven, covered, until the meat is tender, 1 to 11/2 hours longer.

5. Remove the tagine from the oven and remove the lemon zest strips. Stir in the olives and apricots, cover, and let stand off the heat for 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic paste, cilantro, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.