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Turkish Cuisine
Hunkar Begendi
Lamb with smoked eggplant puree
Ingredients (Serves
4-6)
For the Lamb Stew
1 lb neck fillet of lamb, diced in cubes
1 medium onion, peeled, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, chopped
1 cup parsley, chopped
Salt, black pepper, pinch of sugar, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon
paprika
For the Eggplant Sauce
2-3 large eggplants
1 lemon juice (to whiten the eggplant flesh color)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons corn flour or regular flour
1 cup (300 ml) milk
Salt
1 cup (100gr) grated Turkish aged Kasar / Gruyere or aged
Cheddar
In order to cook the eggplants, first prick them with a fork to
prevent them from bursting in the oven. Then roast the whole
eggplants in the oven (preheated 450 F) for 40-50 minutes,
turning regularly, until they are evenly charred and soft. Place
the cooked eggplants in a plastic bag and tie them to sweat and
cool to make the peeling a lot easier. When cool enough to
handle, peel away the blackened skin and discard, placing the
warm flesh in the bowl of cold lemon water. Leave to soak for
about 20 minutes. Squeeze the eggplants and press out as much of
the water and juices as possible. Mash the eggplant flesh into a
puree with a fork and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick pan and add
the chopped onions. Fry the onion until golden. Then add the
lamb cubes, salt and pepper. Cook the meat until it browns
evenly, and then add tomatoes, cumin, paprika, and sugar. Cover
with water, close the lid and reduce the heat to simmer until
meat is tender (approx. 1 hr). Add water when necessary but let
the sauce thicken at the end. Sprinkle with parsley and keep
warm.
To complete the eggplant puree, make a béchamel sauce; melt the
butter in a medium heavy-based saucepan, add the flour, and stir
well over low heat until it is well blended. Off the heat,
slowly pour in the milk, stirring well, to make a smooth creamy
sauce. Add salt, return to heat and cook until the sauce
thickens. Add the mashed eggplants, grated cheese and stir well
to combine. Serve in the traditional Turkish way; put the puree
in a shallow platter and the meat on top of the puree for each
serving.
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