Loraine cooked this delicious Middle Eastern lamb stew with tahini crust from this recipe by the inimitable Yotam Ottolenghi. Serve with rice or bulghur.
Season 1kg (2.2 lbs) of stewing lamb with ¾ of a teaspoon of salt and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a casserole pan over medium heat and add 2 small finely chopped onions and an equal amount of finely chopped celery. Cook until soft then add 1 teaspoon of tomato paste and 1 tablespoon of baharat spice mix and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove to a large bowl, keeping the pan as it is. Brown the lamb in 4 batches, adding a little oil each time and transferring each batch to the bowl of onions. Return all the lamb and vegetables to the pan. Chop 500g (17.5 oz) of plum tomatoes. Stir in ⅔ of the tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of paprika, ½ a teaspoon of salt and plenty of black pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for about 70 minutes until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thick. Check occasionally and if the meat is sticking add a little water and stir well. About 10 minutes before the meat is cooked preheat your oven to 180°C (355ºF) fan forced. Meanwhile make the tahini sauce. Whisk together 200g (7 oz) of tahini, 1½ tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 crushed clove of garlic, 160ml (5.4 fl oz) of water and ¼ of a teaspoon of salt. The consistency should be like thick cream and just pourable. When the meat is tender stir in 60g (2.1 oz) of pine nuts, 40g (1.2 oz) of chopped parsley and the rest of the tomatoes. Pour the tahini sauce evenly over the stew and bake with the lid on for 20 minutes until the tahini has thickened. Remove the lid and bake for a further 20 minutes until the crust is brown. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
michelle picker cooks 