Stranger Foods

Photograph of Spiced lamb & apricot stew.

IranianSpiced lamb & apricot stew

Serves 6 | Prep 10 mins | Cook 2 hr 10 mins

Persian stews can be made with absolutely any combination of meat or poultry married with any vegetable, or even fruit. Combining meat and fruit is a very Persian thing and this influence has most famously extended to both Indian and North African cuisines.

Source: Persiana

Ingredients

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Imperial

x0.5

vegetable oil
2 large onions, roughly diced
600-800 g lamb neck fillets, cut into 2.5 cm thick chunks (or use diced, boneless leg or 6 lamb shanks)
2 heaped tsp ground cumin
1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
1 heaped tsp turmeric
sea salt flakes
2 generous tbsp clear honey
250 g dried apricots

Instructions

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Preheat a large saucepan over a medium heat if using gas, or a medium-high heat if cooking on electric. Drizzle in enough oil to cover the base of the pan, then add the onions and saute them until they begin to brown slightly around the edges. Add the lamb to the pan and stir the meat into the onions, ensuring you keep the meat moving, so that it becomes nicely browned but does not stew.
Add the spices to the pan, season with sea salt flakes and stir to coat the meat well, then add the honey and stir again. Pour in just enough boiling water to cover the ingredients, reduce the temperature to low and simmer for , stirring every so often to prevent sticking.
After the cooking time has elapsed, add the apricots, stir well and cook for at least a further . Serve with either basmati rice or flatbread.

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