Spicy Moroccan Lamb and Lentil Soup

This is a delicious soup from the Mediterranean Instant Pot - Easy, Inspired Meals for Eating Well cookbook.

Serves 6-8       
Total Time 1 hour
 
Ingredients
 
1 lb of lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), 1-1 1/2 inches thick, trimmed and halved
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup harissa
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
8 cups chicken broth
1 cup green lentils, rinsed
1 15-oz can of chickpeas, rinsed well
2 tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4 inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
 
Directions
 
Pat the lamb dry with paper towels and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Using highest sauté function, heat oil in instant pot for 5 minutes (or until just smoking). Place lamb in pot and cook until well browned on the first side, about 4 minutes, transfer to plate.
 

Add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook, using highest sauté function, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in harissa and flour and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Slowly whisk in broth, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in the lentils, then nestle lamb into multicooker and add any accumulated juices.

Lock the lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high pressure cook function and set for 10 minutes. Turn off instant pot and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.

Transfer lamb to cutting board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces, using 2 forks; discard excess fat and bones. Stir lamb and chickpeas into soup and let sit until heated through, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top individual portions with tomatoes and sprinkle with cilantro. Sprinkle, passing extra harissa separately.  
 
My notes:
 
Next time add the entire bag of green lentils.

I diced the onion rather than finely chopped. 

I used canned diced tomatoes.
I purchased the harissa at Harris Teeter (Asian food section)
For the lamb I had the Coscto Kirkland Australian lamb chops, cut into chunks; later cutting into bite-size pieces, as well as removing all the meat from the bones.
It took 17 minutes for the instant pot to come to pressure.

Lamb Cassoulet

For a recent Cookbook Club dinner, 17 May 2023, one participant made this delicious hearty cassoulet. This recipe is from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Limited Edition.
 

Servings: 8
 
Ingredients
 
2 cups dry navy beans
1 pound lean boneless lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tablespoon cooking oil
1 cup chopped carrots (2 medium)
1/2 cup chopped green sweet pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 tablespoon instant beef bouillon granules
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
8 ounce skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
Salt and black pepper
 
Directions
 
Rinse beans. In a large  Dutch oven combine beans and 8 cups water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer for 2 minutes.
 
Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. (Or, place beans in water in Dutch oven. Cover and let soak in a cool place for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.) Drain and rinse beans. Return beans to Dutch oven.
 
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown lamb, half at a time, in hot oil; drain fat. Add lamb, carrots sweet pepper, onion, bouillon granules, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme (if using), garlic, and bay leaves to beans in Dutch oven.
 
Add 4 cups fresh water. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 1 to 1-1/2 hours or until beans are tender.
 
Stir in fresh thyme (if using), chicken, undrained tomatoes and 1/2  teaspoon salt. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaves. Skim fat.

 
Cooks Notes: Used chicken broth instead of bouillon granules. Probably tastes better if served the next day, but it was still delicious.

Roasted Lamb Shoulder

My friend Bruce K. made this wonderful lamb for Passover.

Roasted Lamb Shoulder

Ingredients:

6.5 Lb. lamb shoulder, whole bone in

2/3 C. olive oil

4-5 cloves of garlic, mashed to a paste

1/4 C. parsley, minced

1/4 C. cilantro, minced

2 t. thyme

2 t. cumin

2 t. paprika

1 T. Kosher salt

2 t. ground black pepper

For the Gravy:

1 C. red wine

2 t. cornstarch

Special equipment: A roasting pan with a rack.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Mix together all the spices with the olive oil, excluding the salt and pepper.

Use the salt and pepper to season the lamb, and then cover the lam with the olive oil mixture.

Place the lamb on the rack in a roasting pan. Add 1 cup of water and half a cup of olive oil to the bottom of the pan (this is for basting, make sure the liquids don’t touch the lamb).

Roast uncovered for 30 minutes while basting the lamb once or twice.

Cover the lamb for another 1 hour, 45 minutes (however see below for doneness temperature) while basting the meat every 45 minutes.

Remove the lamb and let cool off a bit and then remove the bone (it should come right off).

For the gravy: Take all the juices left over in the pan and add the red wine and cornstarch, stir to combine and reduce for 10 minutes.

Serve hot and enjoy!

The right temperature for the doneness you want:

Rare: 115 to 120°F

Medium-rare: 120 to 125°F

Medium: 130 to 135°F

Medium-well: 140 to 145°F

Well-done: 150 to 155°F