I can’t believe I haven’t shared this recipe before. It uses the vegetables that are making a come-back after the winter, and is also a good way to use some of the Allium triquetrum leaves as they start to grow. It is a very unusual flavour for western palates, the dried limes and turmeric give the stew a rich flavour. I used the recipe in ‘Nightingales and Roses’ and added the vegetables growing in the garden. I wonder what it would be like with a bit of lovage?
INGREDIENTS
- 3-4 dried limes (from Persepolis or other online shops)
- 100g parsley
- 100g coriander
- 100g spinach or chard
- 1 handful of kale tops
- 1 handful of Allium triquetrum or inner leaves from small leeks
- olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 500g lamb (from shoulder or best end of neck) in large pieces.
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1 can borlotti beans, drained
METHOD:
- Cover the limes in hot water, and weigh them down with a small plate so that they soften over the next couple of hours.
- Strip the leaves from the parsley and coriander, and rinse all of the green vegetables, and leave to dry.
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a casserole dish and cook the onions until they are golden.
- Add the lamb and turmeric and fry until the meat is browned. Add enough stock or water to cover the meat and bring to a slow simmer. Continue to cook on a low heat for an hour.
- Use a food processor to chop the green vegetables finely. You’ll need to do this in batches.
- Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a pan and add the chopped vegetables, and cook until they begin to darken. Add the fried vegetables to the stew.
- Add the limes to the stew. To enhance the flavour, stab them a few times before putting them in. Braise for another 30 minutes
- Add the borlotti beans and simmer for another 30 minutes. Check the flavour and add salt to taste.
We had this with plain rice, and it was phenomenal. The main part of the stew is the beans and vegetables, with lovely tender lamb morsels.