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Off to Turkey we are this week 🙂 Turkish cuisine ranks as one of the three great world cuisines (along with French and Chinese) and has a long and complex history. It is wonderfully spiced and has complex flavors. There is a saying that when you eat in Turkey, you eat well. The diet is pretty healthy and emphasize on lots of fresh ingredients. It is simply the culture of the Turks to do so. So, I gotta try it. I got this wonderful Turkish cookbook, The Sultan’s Kitchen by Ozcan Ozan. Sultan’s Kitchen is a restaurant owned by Ozcan Ozan in Boston, specializing in Turkish cuisine (how lucky!!). I wish he has his restaurant here in Minnesota. The restaurant has been in business for 16 years. The recipes in the cookbook have all appeared on his restaurant’s menu at one time or another.
When meat is discussed in Turkish cuisine, what is usually meant is lamb, which is eaten far oftener than any other kind of meat. This recipe, spiced lamb with creamy eggplant or Hunkar Begendi in Turkish language is named the Sultan’s Delight in Ozcan Ozan’s restaurant. I really enjoy this dish. The creamy eggplant is really delish (if you like eggplant of course). I’m not too crazy about eggplant in general, I’ll eat it, but I won’t say it’s my favorite thing. However, this creamy eggplant…you don’t want to miss it! The meat was so well seasoned and the roasted eggplant in this dish just complemented it so well.
SPICED LAMB WITH CREAMY EGGPLANT/ HUNKAR BEGENDI ( 6 serving)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 lbs boneless lamb shoulder or shank, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 medium Spanish onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp tomato paste
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped (2 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1 1/2 cups water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
BEGENDI (Creamed eggplant)
3 lbs eggplants (about 1 big one)
3 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp salt
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 oz Kasseri Cheese or substitute with Italian Provolone or goat cheese if you like – grated
COOKING METHOD:
1. Melt the butter and heat the oil together in a heavy medium-size saucepan over high heat. Brown the lamb all over, stirring it with a wooden spoon, about 6 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook gently, stirring, for 1 more minute. Add the tomato paste, tomatoes, thyme, oregano, and water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat, cover the saucepan and simmer for about 1 hour or until the lamb is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Skim the surface occasionally to remove any scum that rises to the top
2. While the lamb is cooking, prepare the creamed eggplant. Heat the broiler. Prick the eggplants all over with a fork to allow the heat to penetrate. Place the eggplants on the baking pan and broil for about 25 minutes and turning frequently. Broil until the eggplants have collapsed completely
3. Blend the lemon juice, 3 cups of water, and 1 Tbsp of salt in a large bowl and set it aside. When eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off and place the pulp in the bowl of the lemon water. Let them stand for 10 minutes, to help prevent discoloration. Transfer the pulp to a strainer and let the excess liquid drain through by pressing the pulp gently with the back of a large wooden spoon
4. In a small saucepan over low heat, mix the milk and heavy cream and heat until warm. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the flour and cook gently, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 1 minutes. Using a whisk, slowly add the warm milk and cream, whisking constantly to incorporate the milk mixture completely, and cook gently without boiling the mixture for 1 minute. Add the eggplant pulp and then the cheese, whisking constantly to puree the eggplant. Cook for 4 minutes, whisking, until the mixture is smooth and creamy
5. Spoon the creamy eggplant onto the center of warmed plates and arrange the lamb in the center. Top with some of the sauce from the lamb. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve at once
