Lamb and orzo (Arnaki yiouvetsi me manestra)
Ingredients
- tomatoes: 1 kg, ripe
- lamb: 1½ kg (shoulder), cut into portions
- garlic: 6 cloves, finely chopped
- olive oil: ½ cup
- bay leaf: 1
- tomato puree: 1 tablespoon
- orzo: 500g
- onions: 2, finely chopped
- butter: ½ cup
- salt a bit
- pepper freshly ground
Directions
Peel the tomatoes, remove the seeds and then grate them on a box grater. Rinse the meat and dry it, then add salt and pepper. Put it in a clay baking dish with a cover and add the garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, bay leaf and tomato puree dissolved in a bit of warm water.
Cover the dish and cook at 180οC for 1½ hour. Sauté the onions in the butter for 2-3 minutes until they wilt. Remove the baking dish from the oven, add the orzo, onions and hot water. Continue to cook (with the cover on) for 1 hour more. Add hot water if necessary.
