Lamb with Almonds and Green Olives for Valentine;s Day

Ingredients (Serves 4) 1kg lamb, deboned, diced into cubes 15 apricots, dried, diced into 4 pieces 5 bay leaves 20 allspice berries 9 tablespoons Hellenic Grocery “EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL” https://spitikoproject.com/product/extra-virgin-olive-oil-hellenic-grocery/ 1 onion, finely chopped 1 bunch fresh celery, finely chopped 10 garlic cloves 1 chili pepper 1 glass white wine, dry 2 ripe tomatoes, grated 20 Hellenic Grocery “GREEN OLIVES IN BRINE”, pitted https://spitikoproject.com/product/green-olives-mammoth-size-in-brine-hellenic-grocery/ 1 tablespoon coriander, ground 1 tablespoon cumin, ground 150g almonds, lightly toasted in the oven, skin-on 20-25 shallots 3-4 carrots, cut into thick, round slices 10 slices lemon confit 1 bunch coriander fresh 3 cinnamon sticks Method: 1. In a pot over medium heat, toast* the dried apricots, cinnamon sticks, bay leaves and allspice berries for 2 minutes. Add 5 tablespoons of olive oil, onion and the lamb cubes and sauté until the meat is browned. Add the celery, garlic and chili pepper. Simmer with wine and let the alcohol evaporate. 2. Place the tomatoes, green olives, ground coriander, cumin and almonds in a baking tray. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven over low heat for about 1 hour. 4. In a wide frying pan, pour in 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the shallots and carrots until translucent. Add them in the pot with the rest of the ingredients 20 minutes before serving. Remove the peel and seeds from the lemon confit** slices. Finely slice the flesh and add in the pot. Bring to a boil for the flavours to blend. Just before ready to serve, add the fresh coriander and stir. *Use a non-stick, non-greased frying pan to toast the ingredients on all sides for a few minutes until they release their flavours. **To make a lemon confit, cut 1 lemon into slices and leave for 2 days in a jar with fine salt. Remove the lemon slices from the jar, rinse and place them in a sterilized glass jar. Cover with olive oil or vegetable oil or even a mixture of the two. Cover with a lid and leave under the sun for a few days. The lemons will keep for up to 6 months if stored in the fridge. Bon Appétit