Ingredients
For the lamb stew:
1 kg lamb, cut into cubes; 2 tbsp of olive oil; 1 large onion; 2 cloves of garlic; 1 tbsp of tomato paste; 1.5 cups of water (or more if needed); salt and pepper to taste; and metal skewers of about 30-40cm length.
For the aubergine puree:
4 large aubergines; 2 tbsp of butter; 2 tbsp of flour; 2 cups of milk; salt and pepper to taste; 1/2 cup of of grated kashkaval or kasseri cheese *;1 tbsp. lemon juice
Preparation and Cooking
- Lamb Stew Preparation: Start by heating olive oil in a pot with a lid. Add lamb, browning it on all sides, and set it aside. In the same pot, cook chopped onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent. Stir in the tomato paste, return the lamb to the pot, add water, season with salt and pepper, cover, and closed the lid and let it simmer until the lamb is tender, which should take about 2 hours.
- Aubergine Puree: While the wood-fired oven is at about 300°C, roast the aubergines in a baking pan until the skins turn black, which should take about 30-40 minutes. Once cool, remove the flesh from the charred skins, strain, and let drain for 30 minutes to remove any bitter juices. Mash the aubergine flesh with lemon juice until it’s smooth.
- Bechamel Sauce: In a separate pot, create a roux by melting butter and stirring in flour until it turns brown. Gradually whisk in milk to avoid lumps, creating a smooth bechamel sauce.
- Combine the aubergine puree with the bechamel sauce, stir in grated cheese, simmer for 20 minutes, and season to taste.
- Serving: Serve the dish hot by placing a scoop of Sultan’s Delight on a plate and topping it with the lamb stew.
Hints and Comments
- * Kashkaval is a semi-hard, yellow cheese named after the Italian “Caciocavallo” and is made from cow’s milk. Kasseri, or Kaşar in Turkish, is a medium to hard, pale yellow cheese made from pasteurised or unpasteurised sheep milk.
- Sultan’s Delight traditionally accompanies a spicy lamb stew known as Tas Kebab.
The kitchens of the Ottoman sultans were renowned for their culinary creations, designed to please the ruler. Sultan’s Delight was reportedly created for Sultan Murad IV (1612-1640).