Lamb, Apricot and Prune Casserole is a modern African Fusion recipe for a classic stew of lamb and apricots in a tomato-based sauce with North African seasonings. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic African Fusion version of: Lamb, Apricot and Prune Casserole.
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The sweetness of spring lamb means that it marries well with fruit in a casserole. Indeed, in North Africa, lamb is often cooked with fruit. This Moroccan-inspired dish slow cooks a neck fillet of lamb with dried apricots and spices to yield a rich and tasty lamb dish.
Place the dried apricots in a bowl, cover with boiling water then set aside to plump.
Heat the oil in a large flame-proof casserole, dust the lamb neck fillets with flour then add to the pan and cook until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside. Stir the onion, garlic and celery, chopped chilli and cumin into the pan and fry for about 5 minutes, or until softened. Pour in 100ml water to deglaze the dish then return the lamb to the pan and add the chopped tomatoes.
Crumble the saffron and add to the stock. Pour this into the casserole along with the red wine then add the fenugreek, prunes and dried apricots. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer then cover tightly and simmer gently for about 2 hours, or until the lamb is very tender. For the final 30 minutes of cooking you may want to remove the lid from the pan so that the sauce thickens.
Slice the lamb and serve on a bed of rice. Pour the thickened sauce over and serve.
