Moroccan Lamb Stew

Summary
Prep time	30-45 min
Cook time	~2.5 hours
Source	The Daily Soup Cookbook by Leslie Kaul and Bob Spiegel (pg 134)
Yield / serves	12 cups
Rating	(unrated)

Ingredients

• 4 T peanut oil
• 5 lamb shanks (~1 lb each), cut up
• 3 medium white onions, chopped
• 2 celery stalks
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 T minced fresh ginger
• 2 t kosher salt
• 1 1/2 t ground coriander seeds
• 1 t turmeric
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 6 c Blond Chicken Stock
• 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and diced
• 1/2 lb dried chickpeas, rinsed and debris removed
• 1/2 lb French lentils, rinsed and debris removed
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 325.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the lamb shanks in batches and brown on all sides. Remove the lamb from the pot with a slotted spoon, reserving the oil in the pan, and set aside.

Add the onions, celery, garlic, and ginger to the pot and sweat for 4 minutes, until tender.

Add the salt, coriander, turmeric, pepper, and cinnamon and stir to coat the vegetables.

Return the lamb to the pan and add 2 cups of the chicken stock, the tomatoes, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover, and place the pot in the oven. Braise for 2 hours, until the lamb is tender. Remove the pot from the oven and remove the lamb shank pieces with a slotted spoon. Pull the lamb meat from the bone and return the meat to the pan (discard the bones or reserve for lamb stock).

Place the pan over medium heat and stir in the remaining 4 cups stock and lentils. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, partially cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, until the lentils are tender.

Stir in the sugar. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and top with the chopped cilantro.