Lamb Stew on Eggplant Puree
This is a classic Ottoman dish I learnt at a cooking school in Istanbul. The name translates into "Sultan's Delight".
This is a classic Ottoman dish I learnt at a cooking school in Istanbul. The name translates into "Sultan's Delight".
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon butter
- 2 pounds lamb leg (cubed)
- 2 teaspoons corn oil
- 2 onions (medium chopped)
- 1 carrot (sliced diagonally)
- 1 red bell pepper (sliced diagonally)
- 1 green bell pepper (sliced diagonally)
- 1/2 tablespoon bell pepper paste
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns (cracked coarsley)
- 3 tomatoes (skinned and cut into medium pieces)
- 4 pounds eggplant
- 1/2 teaspoon oil (to help melt butter without burning)
- 1 teaspoon flour
- 1/2 pint milk
- 1/2 cup gruyere (grated - can be replaced by mild cheddar or gouda)
- Carbohydrate 40.5620493833106 g
- Cholesterol 120.415863147772 mg
- Fat 42.3565125880614 g
- Fiber 15.7895070281508 g
- Protein 37.9504350314067 g
- Saturated Fat 15.3022734199227 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (889g)
- Sodium 169.787741809471 mg
- Sugar 24.7725423551599 g
- Trans Fat 3.17442019781812 g
- Calories 676 calories
Step-by-step
- heat oil on high heat, add meat and brown (if any liquid escapes the meat, allow to evaporate before proceeding)
- add by leaves, onion, garlic, carrots and bell pepper
- cook for a couple of minutes and then add chili, tomato, bell pepper paste and pepper to taste
- cover the pan and simmer for 10-15 minutes
- add salt once cooked
- remove the leaves from the end of the eggplant and pierce several times with a fork
- cook over gas flame or charcoal until soft on the inside and charred on the outside
- remove the skin of the eggplant by holding it vertical and using a small knife to peel away the charred skin in long strips (make sure to remove all charred material as this could ruin the flavor of the puree)
- scoop out all the flesh, place in a bowl and allow to cool
- melt butter with a small amount of oil in a saucepan and stir in flour to make a roux
- cook briefly, pour in milk while constantly stirring and, once thickened, add cheese and eggplant.
- add salt to taste
- divide eggplant puree over six plates and place meat and some sauce in the center
- serve with grilled tomato quarters and grilled green pepper
Swapping the traditional kashar cheese for gruyere alters the melting properties and introduces a nutty salinity that fundamentally shifts the profile of the base. Traditional preparations rely on local Turkish cheeses, but aged Alpine varieties melt cleanly into a bechamel base without releasing excessive oils. When browning cubed lamb leg, getting the pan hot enough is critical. If the meat releases moisture before searing, allow that liquid to evaporate completely and the temperature to recover before attempting to build color.
Charring whole eggplants directly over an open gas flame or hot charcoal infuses the flesh with the necessary smoke that oven roasting simply cannot replicate. Piercing the skin several times with a fork prevents steam explosions during this high-heat charring process. Once charred until completely black outside and soft inside, peel away every trace of skin. Even a tiny fleck of carbon left on the flesh will impart an unpleasant bitterness to the final puree. Scoop the warm flesh directly into a bowl and mix it into the butter, flour, and milk roux just after the cheese melts completely.
For diners avoiding dairy or red meat, the structure of the dish shifts considerably. Replacing the milk with unsweetened almond milk and omitting the cheese alters the emulsion, requiring an extra teaspoon of flour or a longer reduction time on medium heat to achieve the proper clinging consistency. Similarly, swapping the lamb for firm cubed mushrooms or seitan requires cutting the simmer time down from fifteen minutes to five to prevent toughness.
