Cuisine: Greek
Region: Common

A simple yet delicious Greek classic, traditional recipe cooked in a skillet or pot. This one avoids using carbohydrates (potatoes, pasta, etc.) and uses fennel, instead. Enjoy!

Serves 6 – 8
Cooking time: 60 min
You will need: a pot or skillet

Ingredients

• 1 kg (2 Lbs) of lamb cut in portions. Lamb leg is better than shoulder or other parts.
• 1/2 kg (1 Lbs) fresh fennel root. (Usually one piece of fennel root is approx. 1/2 kg or 1 Lbs.)
• 4 fresh (green) onions. (When out of season, you can substitute with 3-4 small dry onions.)
• 3/4 to 1 glass (cup) of olive oil.
• 2 Tbsp of tomato paste in 2 cups (glasses) of warm water.
• Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cut the meat into portions.
2. Cut the fennel lengthwise in largish slices. (If the slices are very thin then the fennel will probably dissolve in the pot while cooking.)
3. Pour the olive oil in a big pot and warm it up in medium-low fire.
4. Put meat and onions in the oil and brown the meat on all sides. (The idea here is to partly infuse the meat with the onions’ aromas.)
5. Add salt and pepper to your liking. (I use a token amount of salt because lamb is salty by nature).
6. Add the fennel in the pot.
7. Dilute the tomato paste in 2 cups (glasses) of warm (not scorching hot) water. Add the mixture in the pot.
8. Let it simmer in high fire for 3′ -5′.
9. Lower the fire to medium or medium-low and let it simmer for 45′ – 60′ or until the water evaporates and the sauce thickens.

Notes on Lamb with Fennel in the Pot

• Tomato paste: doubly concentrated is good; but check the ingredients to check if the only preservative mentioned on the can is citric or ascorbic acid (Vitamin C, that is).
• A Tip regarding how to treat deep frozen meat: here

How to cut and core fennel