After receiving a review copy of Mickey Trescott's Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook, I had fun looking through and choosing recipes. For one reason or another, despite it being 100+ degrees outside, I've been craving soup. After having a good experience with lamb, I've wanted to try cooking with it again. When I saw this Moroccan Lamb Stew recipe, I knew I had to try it.
There were only two problematic ingredients for me: dates and orange juice. I typically do not eat fruit. I emailed Mickey to see if it would be a huge issue for me to omit these two ingredients. She worried that I wouldn't get the Moroccan flavor.
I wasn't really worried about omitting the dates. I figured they were there to add sweetness and maybe as a thickener. The orange juice could certainly effect the flavor. I decided to replace the juice with an additional 1/2 cup of bone broth and double the amount of orange zest used. Once I had my plan, I gathered my ingredients and got to work.
I wasn't really worried about omitting the dates. I figured they were there to add sweetness and maybe as a thickener. The orange juice could certainly effect the flavor. I decided to replace the juice with an additional 1/2 cup of bone broth and double the amount of orange zest used. Once I had my plan, I gathered my ingredients and got to work.
I peeled chopped up 4 cups of carrots.
And minced some ginger.
Chopped some onions and fresh rosemary.
Next, I seasoned the meat in a bowl with sea salt and cinnamon. The amount of seasoning in the recipe provides for a very light coating of the meat.
I heated some coconut oil in my 5 quart Le Creuset dutch oven and browned the meat.
While the meat browned, I zested my orange with my microplane. Since I was doubling the zest to use instead of the juice, I needed the zest of the entire orange.
Once the meat was brown, I removed it and added the onions, rosemary, ginger, and garlic and cooked it until it had softened.
I then added the meat back to the dutch oven, along with the carrots and bone broth, water and vinegar. I added an additional 1/2 cup of bone broth to compensate for the liquid lost due to my omitting the orange juice.
After it simmered for one hour and thirty minutes, I added the orange zest and mixed it in. This is when you should stand at your oven and just take in the aroma.
Accessibility & Cost of Ingredients: I believe my "big box" grocery store has some lamb. I got the lamb that I used for this recipe at Sprouts. It was $8.99 a pound. I don't think blood oranges are in season. I didn't see any at the store. I used an organic navel orange for the zest. You should be able to find the remainder of the ingredients at your "big box" grocery store.
Preparation and Cooking Time: It took me 52 minutes to get this stew ready to simmer. I let the stew simmer for 1.5 hours giving me a total preparation and cooking time of 2 hours 2 minutes which is just over the stated 2 hour time from the recipe.
Clean Up: Clean up wasn't bad. I was able to clean up my preparation materials as the stew simmered. I had to hand wash my dutch oven, but it didn't require any heavy scrubbing.
The Paleo Review: Thumbs Up! Any worry that I had about the flavor of this dish was gone with my first bite. The earthiness of the lamb gives the stew a full over all flavor that has a nice citrus high note was truly yummy. I let my friend Martha try some of this stew. Her first comment was that there was a great citrus lemon flavor. Very Moroccan. She was surprised to hear that there was just orange zest in the recipe.
If you're looking for a filling stew with great flavor, whether your AIP or not, grab a copy of Mickey's book and give this recipe a try.