Cold January days call for comfort food — and warm, thick stew is one of my top comfort foods. Far from my North Idaho roots, this recipe uses lamb, figs, dates, and Moroccan spices to warm my soul and help me dream of far-off places and people that I love. The aroma alone makes the effort seem worth it. The title came from a friend whose birthday inspired the development of the recipe. We made a double batch that time and had delicious stew lunches for a couple of days. It reheats superbly well from the fridge, though I don’t recommend freezing it. 

A note about the spices in this recipe 

Ras el hanout is a rich, intense spice blend. There is no one recipe; traditionally, every house has its own blend. Typically, ras el hanout can include such flavors as cinnamon, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, and coriander, with many other spices added. You can find it at many markets, or try your hand at making your own. It’s not easily replaced and forms a large part of the flavor of this dish.

Voatsiperifery is an excellent spice that is reemerging in modern kitchens. It is a wild cubeb found in the jungles of Madagascar — cubebs are sometimes referred to as “tailed peppercorns,” but they aren’t true pepper. Black pepper is a decent substitute, but if you can get ahold of some voatsiperifery, I highly recommend it!

Lamb Stew of the Gods

2–3 lb boneless lamb (leg preferred); meat cut into 1” cubes 
[if bones are available, add to stew pot liquid while cooking for extra flavor or freeze bones for stock]
1 ¼ tsp ground voatsiperifery or freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tsp Kosher salt
2–3 Tbsp duck fat
1 ½ Tbsp garlic powder
½ lb carrots 
1 large yellow onion
2 medium white sweet potatoes
1 ¼ –1 ½ c red wine, divided
1 ½ c shiitake (or beef) stock, divided
6–7 cups strong beef stock (If I don’t have stock on hand, I like to use beef base and water, adding a little extra beef base for more flavor), divided
2 Tbsp ras al hanout
½ c dried adriatic figs
½ c dried pitted dates
⅓ c golden raisins
½ tsp voatsiperifery
Salt to taste (~1 ½–2 tsp salt) 
4 oz brown button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced in half

Mise en Place (prepare before beginning the recipe)

Wash, peel, and rinse sweet potatoes. Dice sweet potatoes into 1” cubes and slice carrots in thick coins. Set aside. 

Dice onion into ½” cubes, set aside. Wipe mushrooms with a slightly damp paper towel to clean; trim the ends. Slice in half, cover, and set aside. 

Stem the figs and cut them in half. Cut pitted dates in half. 

Remove lamb from any bones, if necessary. Trim excess fat and set it aside for another use. Dice meat into 1” cubes (not larger).

Instructions

1. Pat lamb cubes with a few paper towels until almost dry. In a large bowl, toss lamb cubes with 2 tsp kosher salt and ¾ tsp voatsiperifery or black pepper.
2. Meanwhile, heat duck fat in a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot (the one you will cook the stew in). Fry lamb in batches to brown all sides; remove to a plate or pie tin, tent with foil, and set aside. 
3. Add yellow onion cubes and garlic powder to the pot with the lamb drippings (add a little more duck fat if you need to). Deglaze the pan with a splash or two of red wine/stock. Make sure to scrape up all of the brown bits so they don’t burn (you don’t want to waste the fantastic flavor!). Add garlic powder and cook until onions are translucent. Note: If you don’t like using garlic powder, you can add a few minced cloves of garlic toward the end of cooking the onions.
4. Add 1 cup shiitake stock, 5 cups beef stock (or beef base+water), and 1 cup red wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. 
5. Add the carrots, potatoes, ras el hanout, figs, dates, and raisins. Add ½ tsp ground voatsiperifery or pepper and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and cook for 3–5 minutes to allow the flavors to blend. 

Pause to taste

      6. Carefully taste the mixture before adding lamb so that you can adjust the flavor if necessary. If it is too spicy, add more wine or stock.               Too heavy, try adding a little garlic or onion powder. Bland, add some salt. Small adjustments are the key here; try not to over-correct. 

      7. While the mixture is simmering, add the browned lamb with the drippings from the plate and cover the stew pot. Simmer until potatoes and carrots are soft, about 45 minutes–1 hour. Meat should be fork-tender. Check every 15–20 minutes for liquid volume. If there isn’t enough liquid, turn the heat down slightly and add more stock, wine, or water. If the stew is too liquidy, take the lid off the pot and cook until slightly thickened. 

      8. Add the mushrooms during the last 5–10 minutes of cooking. 

I highly recommend serving this delicious stew with some flatbread and mint tea. Enjoy!