Aromatic Lamb with Lentils

Adapted From Mary Berry’s Complete Cookbook

Serves 8

Ingredients

3 lbs Lamb Cubes

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 onions, chopped

4 oz brown or green lentils

6 oz dried apricots

salt and black pepper

2-1/2 C lamb or chicken stock

Marinade:

3/4 C orange juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Make the marinade: in a large bowl, combine the orange juice, oil, garlic, ginger, coriander, and cinnamon.

  2. Turn the chunks of lamb in the marinade, cover loosely, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

  3. Remove the lamb from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven, add the lamb in batches, and cook over a high heat for 5 minutes or until browned all over. Lift out the lamb chunks with a slotted spoon.

  4. Lower the heat slightly, add the onions, and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for a few minutes until just soft but not colored. Lift out of the Dutch oven.

  5. Make layers of lamb, onions lentils, and apricots in the Dutch oven, sprinkling each layer with salt and pepper. Pour in the stock and the reserved marinade and bring to a boil. Cover and cook in a preheated oven 325ºF for 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Taste for seasoning before serving.