This is one of Antony’s favourite recipes, full of colour and flavour. Harissa and pickled lemons are an integral part of North African cooking and are a perfect foil for lamb in this satisfying dish. Serve with bulgur wheat or warmed flatbread.

SERVES 4

450g (1lb) lean leg of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes

11/2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 large onion, roughly diced

4 garlic cloves, crushed

4 tomatoes, skinned and diced

1 tablespoon harissa or hot pepper paste

400g (14oz) tin of chickpeas in water, drained and rinsed

350g (12oz) trimmed and peeled pumpkin, cut into 2.5cm (1in) cubes 1 pickled lemon, finely diced 2 tablespoons chopped mint 1 tablespoon chopped coriander

1  Coat the lamb in the black pepper.

2  Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan, add the lamb and cook until it has browned all over. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is soft and is slightly brown, adding a splash of water if necessary to prevent sticking.

3  Add the tomatoes, harissa and 425ml (3/4 pint) water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook over a medium heat for 11/4­11/2 hours, topping up with water as necessary, until the lamb is almost tender.

4  Add the chickpeas and pumpkin and cook for a further

15 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender. Add the lemon, mint and coriander. Serve immediately.

Per portion: 357 kcal, 18g fat, 6.6g sat fat, 0.28g sodium

Photo Credit - Steve Lee

Posted on Friday, April 30th, 2010 at 9:19 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.