Lamb Stew with Lemon and Olives
This lamb stew recipe is lightly adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook.” It’s perfect served with simply a rustic French baguette or rosemary boule, but side dishes such as mashed potatoes or brown rice also would work well.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1⁄2 cup golden raisins
1⁄2 cup sherry plus a few tablespoons to finish the sauce (divided)
3 pounds of lamb stew meat, cut into 2-inch cubes
1 cup orange juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1⁄2 teaspoons ground cumin
1⁄2 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon flour
1⁄2 cup red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and halved
3 tomatoes, seeded and coarsely diced
1⁄2 lemon, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Soak raisins in sherry 3 hours. Marinate lamb at room temperature 2 hours in orange juice and garlic. Drain lamb but reserve marinade.
Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown lamb a few pieces at a time. Set lamb aside, add onion to pot and cook 5 minutes. Then add saffron, coriander, thyme, cumin and pine nuts and cook 5 more minutes. Add flour, stir and cook about 1 minute. Add reserved marinade, raisins with sherry and the red wine. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return lamb to pan, add olives and tomatoes, cover and simmer an hour and a half, stirring every 20 minutes or so.
Set lemon slices in a shallow dish, cover with boiling water and let sit about 15 minutes before draining. Stir lemon juice and a few tablespoons of sherry into the stew to finish the sauce. Top with lemon slices and serve.