Moti Yitzhaky was an auto mechanic before he opened Moti’s Market and Grill in Rockville, Maryland, which now provides our community with a full-service kosher butcher, baker, and grocery store, all in one. He applies the same
precision from his former career to recipe development and has created flavorful food inspired by his Moroccan ancestry and beyond. Moti gave me a recipe that was the inspiration for this one, a hearty stew brightened up for spring with fresh pear and mint.
Lamb Stew with Apricots, Pear, and Mint
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
- 3 pounds boneless lamb cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces
- 2 medium onions cut in half and thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons lemon zest from 1 lemon
- 1/3 cup 80ml fresh orange juice (from 1 orange)
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 cups 480ml beef, chicken, or vegetable broth
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces 170g dried apricots
- 1/2 cup 45g sliced almonds, toasted (see below)
- 1 large pear not peeled, cut into 2-inch (5-cm) cubes
- 1/4 cup 15g chopped fresh mint leaves
Instructions
- In a large wide saucepan or dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the lamb pieces in batches and cook, using tongs to turn the pieces, until well browned on all sides. Do not crowd the pan.
- Remove the browned pieces to a large bowl.
- Add the onions and garlic to the saucepan plus the other tablespoon of oil and cook, scraping the bottom of the saucepan to avoid sticking, for 5 minutes, until the onions are browned. If the onions start to burn, turn the heat down to medium.
- Add the lemon zest, orange juice, cinnamon stick, honey, and broth to the saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the lamb pieces to the saucepan, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 1/2 hours.
- Add the apricots, almonds, and pear cubes to the pan, stir, and cook for another 40 minutes. Add the mint, stir, and serve.
Yes of course. Make it your own. Use prunes or leave it out.
can i possibly leave out the apricots? or maybe use a different fruit? i have sulfite issues
I made this for the seder and it was delicious. I served it over plain quinoa. I doubled the recipe which worked well. Except, I thought the sauce was a little on the watery side. I think if I doubled it in the future, I would try using 3 cups rather than 4 cups of brother. Overall – it was a delicious hit and everyone loved it! it was also very deliciously fragrant.