During his first year of college, my son said he was a vegetarian. When he came home, I had a batch of my lamb stew simmering in the kitchen. By dinnertime, there were only a few shreds of meat left floating in the gravy—and my son confessed that he was the culprit!
—ARLENE ERLBACH MORTON GROVE, IL
PREP: 30 MIN. • COOK: 5 HOURS • MAKES: 5 SERVINGS
2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups chopped sweet onion
3/4 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
Hot cooked couscous
Chopped dried apricots, optional
1. In a large skillet, brown lamb in butter in batches. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a 3-qt. slow cooker. In the same skillet, saute onion in drippings until tender. Stir in apricots, orange juice, broth and seasonings; pour over the lamb.
2. Cover and cook on high for 5-6 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with couscous. Sprinkle with chopped apricots if desired.
Note: Not a fan of lamb? The flavors meld wonderfully with pork, too. Substitute cubed pork shoulder for the lamb stew meat.