Umbrian Lamb Stew With Chickpea Puree Food

SPRING LAMB AND CHICKPEA STEW

Steps:

• Place chickpeas in a large soup pot. Season lamb pieces generously with salt and pepper, then add to pot. Stick the 4 cloves into the onion halves, and add them to the pot along with 6 cups water.
• Bring pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to a steady simmer. Put on the lid and simmer until lamb is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Turn off heat. Skim off any rising fat. (At this point, you may set the dish aside at room temperature for up to 2 hours before serving, or refrigerate up to 2 days, though it really tastes best the day it is made.)
• When ready to serve, reheat lamb and chickpeas in broth. Put olive oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and add leeks. Cook, stirring, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and sizzle for a minute, add red pepper flakes, then add carrots and a ladle of the lamb broth. Simmer until carrots are done, about 5 minutes. Add the chard, a little salt and another splash of lamb broth. Turn heat to high and cook, stirring, until leaves are tender, a few minutes more. Add fava beans or peas, cover the pan, and turn off heat. They will cook nicely in the residual heat for 4 or 5 minutes.
• To serve, mound greens and vegetables on one side of a large serving platter. On the other side, place lamb pieces and ladle over some broth and chickpeas. Sprinkle with chopped mint.

LAMB AND CHICKPEA CURRY

Steps:

• Place the cubed lamb in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, combine the curry powder, paprika, cumin, rosemary, thyme, fennel, 2 tablespoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the seasonings to the lamb, toss well to coat, and set aside for 15 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large (11-inch) Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and saute for 5 minutes, until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Raise the heat to medium high, add the lamb and all the seasonings in the bowl, and saute for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is evenly browned. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, wine, tomato paste, brown sugar, maple syrup, and harissa. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Add the carrots, celery, raisins, chickpeas, and 2 teaspoons salt, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer, partially covered, for another 30 minutes. Serve hot in shallow bowls with the rice, a dollop of yogurt, and a sprinkling of parsley.

UMBRIAN-STYLE STEWED CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Drain soaked chickpeas and place in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the chickpeas by 1-2 inches. Add 1 cup of the olive oil, bay leaf, sage, rosemary, prosciutto or bacon, carrot, celery, chile, garlic, and onion. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer the chickpeas very slowly, uncovered, until they are tender and creamy, about 3 hours. During the cooking process, keep adding more water to the pot as necessary so the chickpeas remain submerged in at least 1 inch of water. Keep salting throughout the cooking (up to a tablespoon, spread out over 3 hours), tasting as you go and being careful not to over-salt.
• Remove the bacon, herbs, and vegetables, leaving only the chickpeas. Drain, reserving the liquid.Squeeze the cloves of garlic out of their skins and add to the chickpeas (discard the skins). Transfer the chickpeas, garlic, 1 cup of the reserved cooking liquid, and the remaining amount of olive oil into the bowl of a food processor or a blender fitted with a metal blade. Purée to a smooth, spoonable paste with some texture. Add reserved cooking water as necessary until desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning, and add more olive oil or salt as needed before serving.(Note: These chickpeas go well with Chef Silverton's fett'unta.)

LAMB & AUBERGINE STEW WITH CRISPY CHICKPEA TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in flameproof casserole dish. Add the onions and cook until softened. Season the lamb and toss in the flour. Push the onion to the edge of the pan, add the lamb, then cook for a few mins on each side until nicely browned.
• Add the garlic, aubergine, peppers, ras el hanout and harissa. Cook for a few mins until the spices are aromatic. Add the tomatoes, sugar, 400ml water (fill the tomato can and swish it around to get all the bits out) and crumble in the stock cube. Bring to a simmer, cover, then cook over a low heat for 2 hrs.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Add the herbs to the lamb stew and tip into a daking dish. Tip the chickpeas into a bowl with the cumin seeds, remaining oil and some seasoning. Leaving about half the chickpeas whole, lightly crush remainder with a fork or potato masher. Add half the feta and mix through. Scatter over the stew, top with remaining feta, then bake for 45 mins until the topping is really crispy and the stew is hot. See tips on freezing, below left.

UMBRIAN LAMB STEW WITH CHICKPEA PUREE

Steps:

• 1 In a large Dutch oven or other deep, heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium heat. Put just enough lamb pieces in the pot as will fit comfortably in a single layer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, about 20 minutes. Transfer the browned lamb to a plate. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook the remaining lamb in the same way. 2 When all of the meat is browned, spoon the 3 Return the lamb to the pot. Add the tomatoes and mushrooms and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 1 1/2 hours or until the lamb is tender and the sauce is reduced. If there is too much liquid, remove the cover for the last 15 minutes. 4 Just before serving, heat the chickpeas and their liquid in a medium saucepan. Then transfer them to a food processor to puree or mash them with a potato masher. Stir in a little extra-virgin olive oil and black pepper to taste. Reheat if necessary. 5 To serve, scoop some of the chickpeas onto each plate. Surround the puree with the lamb stew. Serve hot. excess fat from the pan. Scatter the garlic in the pan and cook 1 minute. Add the wine. With a wooden spoon, scrape up and blend in to the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook 1 minute. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

SPICY LAMB WITH CHICKPEAS

Steps:

• Rinse the lamb and pat dry with kitchen paper. Tip into a large pan and add tomatoes. Half fill the tomato can with water and add to the pan with the harissa paste and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper.
• Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 1-11⁄4 hours, until the lamb is tender. Rinse the chickpeas and add them to the pan, then simmer for a further 5 minutes.
• Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Roughly chop the coriander, then scatter over the dish. Serve with couscous or rice.