Kharcho

Bring the beef and bones to a boil in to 2 quarts of water and skim the foam that rises to the surface. Then add the bay leaves, parsley sprigs and peppercorns and simmer for 1.5 hours. Strain, reserving the meat. Return the broth to boil, add the rice and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop the onions and cook in butter until soft but not brown. Add them to the soup along with salt. Cook 10 minutes more, or until the rice is done. Put the apricot leather in a bowl and pour the 1/ 4 cup of boiling water over it. Let it stand for 15 minutes, then stir until creamy. (If you are using dried apricots instead, then puree them. They should not be in pieces.) Add the lemon juice. Return the meat to the pot. Stir in the freshly ground pepper, the garlic, cayenne, paprika, ground spices, and apricot puree. Cook for 10 minutes more. (The soup may be cooled and refrigerated at this point. When ready to serve, heat gently, then proceed with the recipe.) Stir in the fresh herbs and let the soup stand for 5 minutes before serving.