LAMB TAGINE WITH CHICKPEAS AND APRICOTS

3 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed in 1” cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
Salt
Pepper, freshly ground
1 can (28 ounce) Italian tomatoes, with juice and chopped
3 cups chicken broth, or more if needed
1 large cinnamon stick, broken
2 tablespoons ginger, peeled and grated
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cans (16 ounce) chickpeas, drained
1 cup dried apricots, halved
1/2 cup slivered almonds, browned
Parsley, chopped
Mint, chopped

Season lamb with salt and pepper. In a dutch oven or heavy pot, heat olive oil and brown lamb in batches over medium high heat. For this amount it took me 4 batches; you do not want to overcrowd. Transfer lamb to a bowl. Add onion to pot and sauté on medium heat high until golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, cinnamon stick, ginger, cumin, coriander, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and lamb. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until lamb is tender (about 2 hours) stirring periodically so the lamb does not stick to bottom. Stir in chickpeas and apricots and simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6-8.

I serve this over couscous on a platter, forming a well in the center and spoon tagine in the middle. I garnish with almond, parsley, and mint. You might think there is too much broth in your stew, but when you put it over couscous, the grain just soaks up the juice like a sponge. Tip! You might spoon out the solids from the juice and serve the broth separately at the table.

This makes a super dinner party dish because you can stretch the portions, adding more chickpeas, onions, couscous, etc. The flavors are extraordinary and only get better the next day!

I paired this dish with a refreshing mandarin orange salad over Bibb lettuce. Recipe to follow next post.