Giouvetsi

Giouvetsi (Greek Baked Orzo with Lamb)

A classic Greek Sunday casserole where lamb braises in tomato, garlic and wine until tender, then orzo is added to absorb the rich broth in the oven. Baked in a clay or metal dish and finished with grated kefalotyri or graviera.

Prep

25 min

Cook

150 min

Total

175 min

Serves

4-6

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) lamb shoulder, bone-in, cut into 5 cm (2 in) pieces; veal or chicken thighs can be substituted
• •400 g (14 oz) orzo (kritharaki)
• •800 g (1 lb 12 oz) tinned chopped tomatoes, or 600 g passata
• •2 medium onions, finely chopped
• •6 cloves garlic, crushed
• •120 ml (4 fl oz) dry red wine, or water
• •80 ml (5 tbsp) olive oil
• •700 ml (24 fl oz) hot water or lamb stock
• •2 tsp tomato purée
• •2 tsp dried oregano
• •2 whole bay leaves
• •1 cinnamon stick (1 stick) cinnamon
• •1 tsp sugar, optional, to balance tomato acidity
• •100 g (3½ oz) kefalotyri or graviera cheese, finely grated, for serving; Parmesan is a home-kitchen substitute
• •salt and black pepper

Steps

1. 1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F / Gas Mark 3). Pat the lamb pieces dry and season well with salt and pepper.
2. 2 Heat the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole or deep pan over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in batches on all sides until deeply coloured, 8-10 minutes total. Set aside.
3. 3 Lower the heat, add the onions and cook until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
4. 4 Stir in the tomato purée and cook 1 minute, then pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits. Let it bubble for 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol.
5. 5 Return the lamb to the pan. Add the chopped tomatoes, oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, sugar (if using) and enough hot water or stock to just cover the meat.
6. 6 Bring to a simmer, cover, and transfer to the oven. Braise for 1½ hours, until the lamb is tender and a knife slides in easily (internal temperature at least 90°C / 195°F for collagen breakdown).
7. 7 Remove the casserole from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 200°C (400°F / Gas Mark 6). Fish out and discard the bay leaves and cinnamon stick.
8. 8 Stir the orzo into the casserole so it is submerged in the liquid. Add more hot water if needed - the orzo should sit just below the surface of the broth.
9. 9 Cover and bake for 15 minutes, then uncover, stir gently, and bake a further 10-15 minutes, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. The pasta should be saucy, not dry.
10. 10 Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Rest 5 minutes, then serve hot in shallow bowls, scattered generously with grated kefalotyri or graviera.