Make Ahead

Spicy Lamb Stew with Date, Mint and Parsley Gremolata

October  8, 2009
4.3
3 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

Sahadi’s market in Brooklyn is an amazing place to shop, and their resident expert, Robert, always has new ideas for using olives creatively. A few months ago he suggested cooking with the brine from a Tunisian spicy olive blend and I haven’t looked back since. Adding just a small amount to this stew infuses each ingredient with big flavor.
The gremolata adds a freshness and sweetness that balances the acidity of the stew. It’s a riff on Suzanne Goin’s fresh date relish. My take uses dried dates, mint instead of cilantro and a lot of lemon zest.
Eliza Winograd

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Ingredients
  • For the Lamb Stew
  • 1 1/2 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed
  • salt and pepper
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red onion, chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 4 cardamom pods
  • 5 coriander seeds
  • 1 dried chile de arbol
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup spicy tunisian olive brine
  • 1/2 cup whole peeled tomatoes with juice, crushed by hand
  • 2 cups chicken stock, or water
  • 1 strip, lemon zest
  • 1/2 cup dried apricots
  • 1/2 cup spicy tunisian olives
  • 1 box, cous cous
  • For the Gremolata
  • 1/2 cup dried dates, finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch fresh mint, chopped
  • 1/2 bunch fresh italian parsley, chopped
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • a generous pour of extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper
Directions
  1. Heat a large dutch oven over high heat, and add the olive oil. Salt and pepper the lamb and sear until it is golden brown on all sides. I do this in 2 batches in order to give the lamb room to sear and not steam. Remove from pot.
  2. Add the onion and celery, and sauté until golden brown, scraping up any brown pieces from the bottom of the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add the garlic, cardamom, coriander and chile and sauté for another minute. Add tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring continuously, until paste has turned to a deep maroon.
  3. Add olive brine and cook until it's reduced by half. Return meat to pot and add tomatoes, stock, dried apricots and lemon rind. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for an 1 hour and half, or until meat is tender. Add the olives during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  4. Make the gremolata by combining all the ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. To finish and serve: Pour the cous cous into an empty casserole dish. Pour the stew on top, do not stir, and cover with aluminum foil. Cous cous should be cooked after five minutes. Serve stew topped with a healthy heaping of gremolata.
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1 Review

SaySchwartzAndBeSure February 22, 2010
I have tried this twice now and found it is great in a slow cooker. I used iranian spiced olives it was the closest I could find and served it with cous-cous. I skipped the gremolata because of time and used a mint chutney. There was not a lick left