Lamb & Apricot Pot with Rice

Name: Lamb & Apricot Pot with Rice
Total time: 150 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Boneless lamb shoulder; 100 g Dried apricots; 250 g Onion; 250 g Canned crushed tomatoes; 3 cloves Garlic; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 0.25 tsp Ground cinnamon; 1.5 tbsp Olive oil; 240 g Long grain rice; 15 g Fresh parsley; 0.75 tsp Salt; 0.25 tsp Black pepper; 1000 ml Water

Slow-simmered lamb shoulder, golden apricots and soft onions make a gently sweet pot to spoon over rice.

150 minutes · Moderate · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Boneless lamb shoulder700 g
Dried apricots100 g
Onion250 g
Canned crushed tomatoes250 g
Garlic3 cloves
Ground cumin1 tsp
Ground cinnamon0.25 tsp
Olive oil1.5 tbsp
Long grain rice240 g
Fresh parsley15 g
Salt0.75 tsp
Black pepper0.25 tsp
Water1000 ml

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

May contain sulphites from dried apricots; check their label.

Method

Brown the lamb

Trim thick external fat and cut lamb into 3 cm cubes. Pat dry. Heat oil in a heavy lidded pot over medium-high heat and brown in two batches, about 8 minutes total. Transfer to a clean bowl. Dice the onions and mince garlic.

Build the braise

Lower the heat to medium. Cook onions in the same pot for 8 minutes, stirring; add garlic, cumin and cinnamon for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, 500 ml water, 0.5 tsp salt and pepper. Return lamb and its juices. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer until tender

Cover and cook at a bare simmer for 80 minutes, stirring every 25 minutes. Halve the apricots and stir them in. Cook covered for another 25–35 minutes, until lamb yields easily to a fork and reaches at least 71°C (160°F). Add 2–4 tbsp water if the pot threatens to catch; uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce is thin.

Make the rice

During the last 30 minutes, rinse the rice and put in a saucepan with the remaining 500 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15–18 minutes until tender, then leave covered off the heat for 10 minutes.

Serve the pot

Chop parsley and stir half through the lamb. Divide rice among four bowls, spoon over the lamb, apricots and sauce, and finish with remaining parsley.

Apricots go in late so they soften without vanishing into the sauce; this is an original house braise rather than a named regional speciality.

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