HARISSA LAMB NECK WITH CHICKPEAS & POMEGRANATE
Best cooked a day ahead for the flavours to develop. To quicken the pace a little try one of our premade harissa pastes.
Ingredients
For the wet harissa paste:
2 teaspoons Caraway seeds
2 teaspoons Farro coriander seeds
1 teaspoon Farro whole cumin seeds
2 tablespoons dried chilli flakes soaked in 2 tablespoons hot water
2 Garlic Cloves peeled and crushed
1 1/2 tablespoons La Chinata sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon Salt
2 large tomatoes diced
For the lamb:
1 kilogram lamb neck fillets trimmed of any excess fat then cut into 4cm chunks
All of the wet harissa paste
2 Red Onion peeled and diced
3 Garlic Cloves peeled and crushed
2 tablespooons Pomegranate Molasses plus 1 tablespoon to serve
1 cinnamon stick
500 millilitres vegetable stock
1 can Metelliana chickpeas washed and drained
1 Lemon juiced
1/2 bunch bunch fresh coriander washed and roughly chopped
2-3 tablespoons The Collective Straight Up plain yoghurt
Method
For the wet harissa paste: Toast the caraway, coriander and cumin seeds in a dry pan until aromatic. In a mortar and pestle or hand grinder, grind the seeds to a powder.
Put the spices into a food processor with the remaining ingredients and pulse until combined.
Pour out into a fry pan and cook over a medium to low heat, stirring regularly until jammy and well reduced. Allow to cool completely before using.
For the lamb: Preheat oven to 170C
Combine the neck fillets with the wet harissa paste, mix well and set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes.
In a heavy-based casserole dish heat a little oil and brown the neck fillets, carefully making sure the marinade does not stick and burn. Drain off the excess fat and return to the heat on a medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic, cooking until well softened. Add the pomegranate molasses and cinnamon quill, stirring well before adding the vegetable stock. Cover and cook for 90 minutes.
Remove from the oven and uncover. Skim as much fat off the surface as you can before adding the chickpeas and stirring well.
Return the stovetop and simmer to heat the chickpeas through. At this stage you can cool the dish completely and refrigerate overnight in order to skim any additional fat that will rise and simply reheat the next day.
Add the lemon juice to taste, adjust seasoning as needed and stir well. Place on a large deep platter and top with the yoghurt drizzled with the remaining pomegranate molasses and fresh coriander to serve