lamb and apricot stew

I attempted last night to replicate a recipe several East Point friends of mine made for me a few some time past. Given that I did not see them cook it, I had to work mainly off of instinct and tacit knowledge about stewing, lamb, etc. It worked okay.

I started with 1 pound of bone-in lamb. This makes just enough for two, with potentially one portion of left overs. 2 pounds will do for serving four (no less, please).

First I heated oil in a dutch oven. Not too much oil is needed--we are sizzling cumin seeds and browning lamb. The fatty lamb will flavor the stew well enough. So thin layer only.

So, then, sizzle some cumin seeds and add the lamb. Salt the lamb generously. Also add a pinch of cinnamon. Then cover with chicken stock (just barely cover), add the dried apricots, cover, and then remove to the oven at 300 degrees for one hour.

I served this with herbed couscous and asparagus.

It turned out delicious, although the dried apricots were fairly roundly stewed, some of them fairly bursting apart. When I do it again, I will go even lighter on the chicken stock and will add the apricots half way through cooking just to see if it changes the flavor. The savory lamb need not be sweetened by the presence of apricots during too much cooking--the cinnamon imparts all the flavor we need in the dish. And I think it important that the apricots retain their integrity. What are we, after all, without our dignity?

Anyway, tasty lamb. EASY dish. Infinite variations possible.