Giouvetsi

Giouvetsi is definitely a top contender to win the race for best Greek comfy food. This beef stew with orzo pasta dish was traditionally prepared in clay pots and wooden-fired ovens. If you don't have that at home, a regular oven and oven-proof pot will just work fine too. I promise you, you won't be disappointed by this Greek culinary delight.

INGREDIENTS

(5-6 servings)

1,4 kg of meat (lamb or beef leg)

3 carrots

3 red onions

1 leek

2 tbsp. tomato paste

2 bay leaves

2 cinnamon sticks

2 tbsp cumin

2 tbsp honey

150ml red wine

400g canned tomatoes

300g orzo pasta

Thyme

Parsley

200g feta cheese

Salt & Pepper

Water

PREPARATION

Start by chopping the onions into little pieces. Peel the carrots and cut them into small cubes. Chop the leek coarsely.

Heat up a big pan with extra virgin Greek olive oil. Fry the onions first for a couple of minutes until caramelized. Add the the carrots afterwards for some more minutes.

Finally, add the leek and continue to frying it altogether until everything is glazy. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer the veggies to a bowl and set aside.

The meat is next. I used bavette beef for this Giouvetsi but it's better to take meat from the leg. Chicken filet should also be a good alternative. Cut the meat into large cubes and fry for 5min until brown.

Combine the veggies and the meat in the same pan. Add tomato paste, cumin, bay leaves, and cinnamon sticks. Give it a good stir and sauté for a minute or two.

Pour the red wine into the pan and let it evaporate. Now, add 250ml water, honey and canned tomatoes. Bring it to a boil before you cover the pot. Let it simmer on low heat for 1 hours.

When it's about to be ready, heat extra virgin Greek olive oil in a pan, and fry the orzo pasta for a couple of minutes. This will prevent the orzo from being sticky.

Transfer the stew to an oven-proof dish. Stir thyme and fried orzo into to the stew. Season again with some more pepper.

Add an additional half litre of water, so the orzo pasta has more moisture to cook.

Cover with a lid (or aluminium foil) and put it in the pre-heated oven (180 degrees) for about 20min. Uncover the pan and let it bake for another 15min. Add some more water if needed.

Let the dish rest for some minutes. Garnish with feta cheese and parsley before serving.

The dish was so uwelicious that even little Ari approved and tried adult food for his very first time.

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