Persian lamb with saffron, prunes, honey and orange
I'm always on the lookout for recipes that work well in any season. One of the places I have uncovered many of those I use is Greg and Lucy Malouf's book of recipes and travel stories, Saraban: A Chef's Journey Through Persia.
Greg Malouf has a slightly sweeter tooth than I do, so I've tweaked this recipe (which itself is a tweak of any number of traditional sweet and sour braised lamb dishes from Iran) to add a little bit more tartness. I also use rose water because it works so well as a complement to the orange peel.
Anyway, the point is, you can serve it pretty much any time of year, and you can do so knowing that it will almost certainly be a runaway hit with the diners.
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
1.2 kg diced lamb
1 onion diced
1 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoons weet paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 litre good-quality chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 long strip orange peel
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons honey
200g pitted prunes
1/4 tsp saffron dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water and 1 tablespoon rose water
METHOD
Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan. Brown the lamb in batches over a medium heat, then transfer to a large, heavy-based saucepan or casserole.
Fry the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes, or until soft and translucent.
Stir in the spices, salt and pepper and cook for a further 2 minutes, then add to the casserole. Pour in the chicken stock, stir well, then add the cinnamon stick, orange peel, bay leaves, saffron liquid and honey. Stir again and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1¼ hours, topping up with a little water if the mixture becomes too dry.
Add the prunes and cook for a further 30–45 minutes, squishing them into the sauce as they soften. At the end of the cooking time, the sauce should be thick and rich and the meat falling away from the bones. When ready to serve, taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve with plain or rice, plenty of creamy yoghurt and a side of chopped cucumber with olive oil, lemon juice and a splash of blossom water. [Serves 6]
