Spiced Moroccan braised lamb

LAMB, LAMB, LAMB!
My absolute favourite protein to cook with. Since moving to the Overberg, we’ve probably had close to ten lamb braais in just two months! We found a butchery in Hermanus that sells the best lamb I’ve ever tasted — all locally sourced, right here in the Overberg.

It got me thinking about a Moroccan dish I tried as a kid. I wasn’t a fan of dried fruit back then, but something about that flavour combination stuck with me. The sweetness worked so beautifully with the richness of the fatty lamb — it completely changed my mind. Definitely something I’d recommend making on a cold winter day. Comforting, bold, and full of flavour.

Spiced Moroccan braised lamb

Ingredients:

• 650g Boschendal lamb neck
  
  

• ½ tub Boschendal almond-stuffed green olives
  
  

• ½ cup dried Turkish apricots
  
  

• 1 cup plain yoghurt
  
  

• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  
  

• 1 onion, finely chopped
  
  

• 3 carrots, cut into thumb-sized pieces
  
  

• 500ml beef or chicken stock
  
  

• 1 thumb fresh ginger, finely chopped
  
  

• 50ml olive oil
  
  

• 1 tbsp tomato paste
  
  

• 2 tbsp flour
  
  

• Salt, to taste
  
  

Spice Mix (toast & grind):

• 1 pinch saffron
  
  

• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
  
  

• 1 tbsp cumin
  
  

• 1 tsp peppercorns
  
  

• 1 tbsp cinnamon
  
  

Method:

1. Toast spices, grind finely, and set aside.
   
   

2. Preheat oven to 160°C.
   
   

3. Heat oil in an ovenproof, deep-based pan.
   
   

4. Season and coat lamb with flour. Brown in pan, then remove.
   
   

5. In the same pan, sauté onions and carrots until lightly browned. Season.
   
   

6. Add garlic, ginger, apricots, olives, and spices. Cook until fragrant.
   
   

7. Stir in tomato paste and cook 1–2 minutes.
   
   

8. Return lamb to the pan. Pour in stock (top with water if needed to just cover meat).
   
   

9. Braise, covered, in the oven for 1½–2 hours until meat is tender and sauce thickened.
   
   

Optional Side: Pearl Couscous Salad

• 2 cups cooked pearl couscous
  
  

• Juice of 2 lemons
  
  

• 75g flaked almonds
  
  

• 60g salted butter
  
  

• Small handful each of coriander and parsley, finely chopped
  
  

• 25ml olive oil
  
  

• Salt and pepper, to taste
  
  

Assembly:

1. Brown butter in a pan, toast almonds in it until golden.
   
   

2. Mix couscous, herbs, lemon juice, and olive oil. Season.
   
   

3. Top with hot almond-butter mixture. Serve with lamb.