Slow-Roast Lamb With Harissa and Apricots

Name: Slow-Roast Lamb With Harissa and Apricots
Yield: 6 - 8 Servings
Ingredients: 1 lb. dried apricots (about 3 cups); 3 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or 2 Tbsp. Morton kosher salt; 3 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. ras-el-hanout; 10 garlic cloves, finely chopped; 1 cup harissa paste; 5 Tbsp. preserved lemon paste; 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1¾ lb.), peeled, quartered; 4 medium onions (about 1½ lb.), peeled, roots trimmed, quartered; 4 medium fennel bulbs, stalks and fronds trimmed, bulbs quartered; 1 5½–6-lb. bone-in leg of lamb; 1 large fennel bulb, stalks removed; 2 cups tender herb leaves (such as parsley, mint, and cilantro); 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 1 Tbsp. plus 1½ tsp. preserved lemon paste

By Ron and Leetal Arazi

March 16, 2021

SlowRoast Lamb With Harissa and Apricots recipe

Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by D’mytrek Brown, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

This recipe comes from the Passover traditions of Ron and Leetal Arazi, owners of New York Shuk (and makers of our favorite harissa paste). “Leetal’s Turkish grandmother loved to make lamb before she immigrated to Israel,” Ron tells us, “but when she got there, it was so hard to find that she reserved it for holidays.” “We use ras el hanout, harissa, and preserved lemons on the meat as a nod to Ron’s Moroccan heritage, and because fennel is a springtime vegetable and Passover is a spring holiday, it’s also a must on our table,” Leetal adds. “We love to put the lamb in the oven before bed and wake up to its aroma. It’s the most delicious thing in the world.”

Since harissas can vary widely in terms of heat level, Ron and Leetal suggest tasting it before you start cooking: If yours tastes very spicy, try reducing the 1 cup in the recipe to ¾ cup (or less) and make up the difference with puréed jarred roasted red peppers. If you can’t find store-bought preserved lemon paste, you can make your own. To make enough paste for this recipe, remove the seeds from ½ cup quartered preserved lemons, then chop very finely. Turn your knife on its side and press into a paste.

Recipe notes