Lamb Orzo
The original recipe: "Greek" Lamb with Orzo by fiveandspice on Food52
INGREDIENTS
Serves 6
For the lamb:
500g lean ground lamb (I used New Zealand spring ground lamb, which came frozen in a tube - DEFROST before use)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1/2 head of garlic, crushed
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1.5 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp red chili flakes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1 cup water
1 tbsp white granular sugar
splash of sherry (use the good stuff)
1 tsp smoked paprika
28oz can of crushed tomatoes (I used regular all-purpose crushed tomatoes)
8oz fresh spinach
Salt & Pepper
For the orzo:
1 lb orzo
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I don't think the bottled stuff would taste very good here)
2 tbsp olive oil
Garnish:
Feta cheese to taste (we used about 3/4 of a cup of crumbled feta, but we love cheese!)
DIRECTIONS
For the lamb:
1. If your ground lamb is frozen, take it out of the freezer 2 days ahead of time and let it defrost in the refrigerator.
2. Heat a large dutch oven to medium heat with 2 tbsp of olive oil.
3. Add in the ground lamb and season with 3/4 tsp of salt and several cranks from the black pepper mill (just a good amount of black pepper). Cook the lamb until no longer pink, breaking it apart with your spatula.
4. Remove the lamb with a slotted spoon so the fat remains; set the lamb aside.
5. To the dutch oven, add the garlic and onions. Cook until the onions are soft.
6. Add in the cinnamon, oregano, and chili flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes.
7. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes, stirring to avoid sticking to the bottom of the pan.
8. Add the chicken broth and water, then increase the heat and bring to a boil.
9. Lower the heat to a simmer and add another pinch of salt & pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes.
10. Add the lamb back in and cook for another 20 minutes.
11. Add in the spinach and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes until spinach is wilted.
For the orzo:
12. While the lamb is on its 20 min stretch (step 10 above), bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.
13. Add the orzo to the boiling water for 7-8 minutes.
14. Drain the orzo and place into a large bowl with the lemon juice, parsley, and olive oil. Toss to combine and set aside until ready to serve.
*Note: I made my orzo too early so it was sitting around for a while before the lamb was finished cooking. Since we added olive oil, I found that as long as I stirred the orzo once in a while, it prevented any sticking.
15. Serve the lamb over top of the orzo, and sprinkle feta cheese over top, to taste.
My husband wanted me to add a pic of his pretty plating :)