Lamb Ragu with Eggplant Begendi Sauce
Hunkar Beğendi
I am regularly asked what my favouriteTurkish meal is . I'm never quite sure what to answer, but this lamb ragu would certainly be up there. This exquisite meal dates back to Ottoman time, and the Turkish name translates literally as ‘The Sultan liked it’. I must confess I don’t know the history of this intriguing name, but it certainly tempts the imagination.
I imagine a creative chef at the palace inventing this dish for the Sultan once upon a time, then hearing the magical news that the Sultan very much approved. After that, if ever he wondered what to cook that evening, the chef might suggest to his kitchen staff: You know what guys? Let’s cook the one the Sultan liked.
For the Ragu:
15 pearl onions (arpacık soğan)
500g lamb leg meat, cut into small cubes (kuzu but)
1/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbsp sweet pepper paste or tomato paste
3 tomatos, blended in a food/processor blender until smooth
1 bay leaf (defne yaprağı)
3 sprigs fresh tarragon or thyme, leaves picked (taze kekik)
For the Eggplant Begendi Sauce:
5 thin eggplants
75g butter
3 tbsp flour
400ml milk
½ tsp nutmeg (muskat)
¼ tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
60g Turkish eski kaşar cheese, grated (or substitute with parmesan)
1. Preheat the oven to 250C. Place all the eggplants on an oven tray, and put in the oven to roast until the skins have blackened , about 20min.
2. When the eggplants are done, place inside a plastic bag and leave 5 minutes. The steam from the hot eggplants will soften the skins, making them easier to remove.
3. Set a small saucepan of water to boil. Cut the root end off each pearl onion, then cut a shallow cross into the cut end. Toss the prepared onions into the boiling water and boil for 2 minutes.
4. Drain the onions, then place in a bowl of cold water. Pull one onion out at a time, and squeeze to remove the peel. Don’t worry if some of the outer layers of onion come off too, it is the sweet inner bit that we want. Set aside.
5. Return to your eggplants. Remove them from the bag one by one, and under running water remove the top and skin with your fingers. Chop the remaining eggplant flesh into bite-sized chunks.
6. Place the lamb, flour, salt and pepper into a plastic bag, close, then toss well until all the lamb pieces are well-coated.
7. Heat a large frypan over medium heat, and add the butter and olive oil. Add the garlic, frying gently until just starting to take colour. Add the sweet pepper paste to the blended tomato in a small bowl, and whisk until uniform in colour. Add to the garlic,together with the bay leaf and tarragon. Stir until well combined, then leave to simmer.
8. Heat a second saucepan over medium heat, and add the butter. When it has melted, add the flour, stirring constantly until smooth.
9. Add the milk a little at a time, stirring very well between each addition until completely smooth. Don’t add too much milk in one go, or the sauce will become lumpy.
10. Stir through the nutmeg, black pepper, salt and cheese and stir until the cheese has melted and the sauce is again smooth. Stir through the eggplant pieces and check the seasoning.
11. Spoon a generous quantity of Eggplant Begendi sauce on each plate. Top with the lamb ragu and serve with crusty bread.
SERVES: 4