Lunch · Dinner · North African

Harissa lamb orzo with feta & mint

Name: Harissa lamb orzo with feta & mint
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: North African
Ingredients: 1 tbsp Olive oil; 500g Lamb mince; 1 Brown onion; 2 cloves Garlic, crushed; 1 cube Chicken stock cube, in 700ml water; 3 tbsp Harissa paste; 1 tsp Ground cumin; 1 tbsp Tomato purée; 300g Orzo; 1 tin Chopped tomatoes; 100g Baby spinach; 1 Lemon; 200g Feta, crumbled; 30g Fresh mint, leaves picked

Spiced lamb and orzo from one pan, cooled down with salty feta and a big handful of mint.

Start to finish: 35 min
Hands-on: 29 min
In the fridge: 3 days
Freezes: Not well

A little heatContains gluten, dairy, celery

Ingredients

4 portions

1 tbspOlive oil
500gLamb mince
1Brown onion
2 clovesGarlic, crushed
1 cubeChicken stock cube, in 700ml water
3 tbspHarissa paste
1 tspGround cumin
1 tbspTomato purée
300gOrzo
1 tinChopped tomatoes
100gBaby spinach
1Lemon
200gFeta, crumbled
30gFresh mint, leaves picked

Plus salt, pepper and water.

Method

1
Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat. Brown the lamb for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until well browned and crisp in places. Spoon off any excess fat.
2
Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and crush the garlic. Crumble the stock cube into 700ml boiling water.
3
Add the onion to the lamb and cook for 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic, harissa, cumin and purée for a minute.
4
Stir in the orzo, then the tomatoes and stock. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring often so it does not stick, until the orzo is tender and has soaked up most of the liquid.
5
Stir in the spinach until it wilts, squeeze in the juice of half the lemon and season.
6
Scatter with the feta and torn mint to serve. For later, cool and pack into tubs, keeping the feta, mint and the other lemon half separate.

On the day

Microwave with a splash of water until piping hot, or eat it at room temperature like a salad. Crumble over the feta, tear over the mint and squeeze over some lemon just before eating.

Cook’s tip

Let the lamb catch and crisp in places before the onion goes in. Those browned bits dissolve into the stock and give the orzo its depth.