Middle Eastern Lamb and Chickpea Stew

• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 medium Yellow onion
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Ground coriander
• ½ tsp Ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp Tomato purée
• 800 g Canned chopped tomatoes
• 2 Bay leaves
• 900 g Lamb shoulder, boneless
• 400 g Canned chickpeas
• 10 g Fresh parsley

1. Cut the lamb into bite-sized chunks. Thinly slice the onion and finely chop the garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the lamb and 1 tsp of the fine sea salt, then brown for 6 to 8 minutes, turning so it colours well. Transfer the lamb to a plate.
3. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion with a pinch of the remaining salt. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until softened and lightly golden. Stir in the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Stir in the ground cumin, ground coriander and ground cinnamon for 30 seconds. Add the tomato purée and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavour. Tip in the canned chopped tomatoes and add the bay leaves.
5. Return the lamb and any juices to the pot and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is starting to turn tender and the sauce looks thicker. If it begins to catch, add a small splash of water and reduce the heat.
6. Stir in the chickpeas and cook, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until the lamb is very tender and the sauce is rich and spoon-coating. Taste and season with the remaining fine sea salt as needed. Remove the bay leaves.
7. Finely chop the fresh parsley and stir most of it through the stew. Ladle into bowls and scatter over the remaining parsley. Serve hot with plenty of sauce spooned over each portion.

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