Foolproof One-Pot by Rosenthal Alan;

Author:Rosenthal, Alan;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Quadrille Publishing, Limited
Published: 2020-11-24T00:00:00+00:00

Tip

Get ahead by preparing everything a day before, up until the stock and bulgur wheat are added.

Serves 4

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Deep Pot

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Hob

LAMB & BUCKWHEAT PILAF WITH CHERRIES, CHESTNUTS & DILL

Pilafs can be found all over Eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East, ranging from the simple to the most complicated depending on the occasion. In this recipe, cherries and chestnuts impart their unmistakeable fruity sweetness on savoury lamb, buckwheat and fresh dill. Cooking the pilaf in the oven avoids any burnt bottoms and, I think, gives a nice crunch to the buckwheat at the surface of the dish.

3 tbsp sunflower oil

500g (1lb 2oz) lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 3cm (1¼in) cubes

2 onions, peeled and finely sliced

50g (1¾oz) unsalted butter

1 tsp ground allspice

1 tsp ground cumin

2 bay leaves

a pinch of crushed chilli flakes

75g (2½oz) dried cherries (or cranberries)

2 carrots, coarsely grated

75g (2½oz) cooked peeled chestnuts, broken up slightly

300g (2 cups) toasted buckwheat

8 garlic cloves, unpeeled

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

3–4 tbsp chopped fresh dill, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Add the oil to your deep pot. Brown the lamb in 2 batches. Using a slotted spoon, transfer each batch to a bowl, keeping as much of the oil in the pot as possible. Now lower the heat a little and add the onions and butter with a pinch of salt. Cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring regularly, until the onions have reduced and begun to caramelize.

Now add the allspice, cumin, bay leaves and chilli flakes with ½ tsp black pepper. Allow the spices and onions to cook for a couple of minutes before returning the meat and any collected juices to the pot. Add 300ml (10½fl oz/1¼ cups) boiling water and a generous pinch of salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot, pop it in the oven, and cook for 1½ hours, adding the dried cherries (or cranberries) halfway through and giving things a good stir.

The sauce should have reduced and thickened and the meat will be tender. Remove the pot from the oven and increase the temperature to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.

Give the lamb a good stir. Add the carrots and chestnuts in a layer on top of the lamb and sauce. Next add the toasted buckwheat on top and push the garlic cloves into the buckwheat. No stirring!

Now dissolve 1 tsp salt in 500ml (17fl oz/2 cups) boiling water and carefully pour this into the pot. Using the back of a spoon, submerge any buckwheat that appears to be floating. Pop the lid on and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.

Remove from the oven, stir gently and allow to sit for 5 minutes with the lid on before serving sprinkled with the fresh dill. Be sure to eat the garlic by squeezing the softened flesh from the skins – it’s delicious!

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