Giouvetsi or Youvetsi Recipe Greek Lamb with Orzo

Greek baked lamb and orzo youvetsi or giouvetsi in a baking dish with parsley and feta.

Giouvetsi or Youvetsi Recipe Greek Lamb with Orzo

Greek youvetsi or giouvetsi is a gloriously hearty baked stew that combines lamb in a red wine and tomato sauce with orzo and cooks it until it is beautifully thick and bubbly... it's perfect comfort food!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Anglo Greek

Keyword giouvetsi, greek lamb orzo, youvetsi

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1 45

Total Time 1 55

Servings Generous Servings

Calories 1065kcal

Author Brian Jones

Ingredients

300 g Diced Lamb Shoulder 11oz
1 Large Onion 200g
4 Garlic Cloves
½ teaspoon Salt
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Cloves
1 teaspoon Dried Mint
1 Bay Leaf
½ teaspoon Sugar
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
175 ml Red Wine ¾ Cup
400 g Tin of Chopped Tomatoes 14oz
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
150 g Orzo ⅔-¾ Cup
350 ml Lamb Stock 1½ Cups

Instructions

If your lamb is not already diced, cut it into a 1.5cm (½") dice.
Cut the onion in half, peel it and then cut it into a 5-6mm (½") dice.
Peel the garlic cloves and then slice them as finely as you can.
Heat a 28cm or 11" frying pan or skillet (not nonstick if possible) over a high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Season the lamb with the salt and then fry until you get some nice crispy edges and a nice golden layer of crusty bits on the bottom of the pan.
Then remove the lamb, leaving the oil in the pan. You can also remove the cloves now and discard them, leaving the cinnamon stick in the pan.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring and scraping to remove most of the crispy bits in the pan.
Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly.
Turn the heat up to high, pour in the red wine and reduce by half, scraping the pan to remove any remaining crispy bits.
Reduce the heat to low, add the tinned tomatoes, black pepper, sugar, dried mint, and bay leaf and return the lamb to the pan, add a lid and simmer gently for 45 minutes.
Transfer the lamb mix to a 25cm x 15cm (10" x 6") baking or casserole dish and wipe out the pan; you don't need to be too particular about cleaning the pan.
Return the pan to a medium heat, and when it is hot, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the orzo and toast it until it is golden.
Transfer the orzo to the baking dish and pour over the lamb stock, and stir.
Have a taste now and add more salt if required.
Transfer to an oven and cook at 180°C or 350°F for 40-45 minutes, then serve.

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