LAMB STEW WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

LAMB STEW WITH LEMON AND OLIVES image

Yield 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 19

1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup sherry
3 pounds of lamb stew meat -- 2 inch cubes
1 cup orange juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 chopped onion
1 teaspoon saffron threads
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 cup red wine
3 tomatoes, seeded and coarsely diced
1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and halved
1 lemon thinly sliced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Soak the raisins in the sherry for 3 hours. 2. Marinate the lamb at room temperature for 2 hours in the orange juice and garlic. Drain lamb but save the marinade. 3. Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb a few pieces at a time. Set lamb aside and add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Then add saffron, coriander, thyme, cumin and pine nuts and cook 5 more minutes. 4. Add flour, stir and cook about one minute. Add marinade and the raisins, sherry, and wine. Stir and season to taste with salt and pepper. 5. Return everything to pan, add olives and tomatoes and simmer covered for an hour and a quarter. 6. Sprinkle salt over the lemon slices set in a shallow dish and cover with boiling water. Let sit for about 15 minutes then drain. 7. Remove meat and other solids from the pan and reduce the liquid to desired consistency over medium high heat. Stir in lemon juice and a few tablespoons of sherry to finish the sauce. 8. Return solids to pan, reheat, top with lemon slices and serve.