This dish is a real winner, said Leon's director of food, Erica Molyneaux. My version of a warming, gently spiced Moroccan soup-stew, finished with a swirl of harissa, it’s perfect for a simple weeknight supper or for when you have friends over.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
- 3 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
- 3 sprigs of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks finely chopped
- 600g boneless leg or boneless shoulder of lamb
- 1 tbsp ground cumin
- 1 tbsp ground turmeric
- 1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 heaped tsp ground coriander
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 700ml hot vegetable stock
- 1 × 400g can good-quality chopped tomatoes
- 1 × 400g can chickpeas, plus their liquid
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- plain live yoghurt
- 2 tbsp harissa
- warmed flatbreads
Method:
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- Drizzle the olive oil into a large pan over a low-medium heat and sauté the chopped vegetables, ginger and parsley stalks for 10 minutes, until softened.
- Meanwhile, trim the lamb of excess fat and cut the meat into 2-3cm pieces.
- Season the softened vegetables with salt and pepper, then add the lamb. Turn up the heat to brown the lamb, and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the ground spices, the bay leaves and tomato purée, stir well and cook for a further 3 minutes. Add the stock, tomatoes, chickpeas and their liquid, stir well and bring to the boil. Lower the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until the meat is tender.
- You can add a bit of water if it gets a little too thick.)
- Season to taste and portion into wide bowls. Serve with a dollop of the yoghurt, a swirl of harissa, a sprinkling of finely chopped parsley leaves and a warmed flatbread.
Taken from "Leon Big Flavours" by Rebecca Seal, published by Conran at £22. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £19.99, visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
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