Paula Wolfert, an expert in Moroccan cooking and the award-winning author of cookbooks about Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine has honored us with her summer’s end recipe for Anatolian Purslane, Lamb and Lentil Stew. It’s just perfect for the last iftar meal of this Ramadan or to serve up to guests during one of the three days of the upcoming ’Eid celebration.

Among her many interesting cookbooks are Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking: Traditional and Modern Recipes to Savor and Share and Couscous and Other Good Food from Morocco, which has been in print since 1973!

She’s won the James Beard Award and the Julia Child Award, among other honors, for her cookbook writing. I’m eagerly waiting for her latest cookbook on Moroccan cooking due out in 2011. I’ll let you know about when it publishes. I can’t wait to try the recipes!

Be sure to make this sensational dish, as Paula’s recipes are known for their taste, interesting flavors and incredibly accuracy in recipe writing.

If you don’t have purslane (widely available at farmer’s markets towards the end of summer), you can substitute watercress or spinach instead.

Anatolian Purslane, Lamb and Lentil Stew

Recipe by Paula Wolfert

 In late summer, use bulky bunches of purslane for this recipe.

 Serves 6

• 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas, soaked overnight and drained
• 1/3 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
• 3/4 cup mini brown lentils, picked over and rinsed (See box)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 ounces boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons Turkish red pepper paste (See Note)
• 1 1/2 pounds purslane, thick stems discarded and leaves coarsely shredded
• 1/2 cup coarse bulgur
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon dried spearmint, leaves crushed to a fine powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Turkish red pepper flakes (see Notes)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Trimmed scallions and lemon wedges, for serving

Directions

1. Rinse the black-eyed peas and chickpeas. Pour them into separate medium saucepans and cover with several inches of water. Cover and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 20 minutes for the black-eyed peas and 1 hour for the chickpeas. Drain the black-eyed peas and discard the liquid. Drain the chickpeas; reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the lentils with 4 cups of water, cover partially and cook over moderate heat until tender, about 40 minutes. Drain; reserve 2 cups of the cooking liquid.
3. In a large, enameled cast-iron casserole, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the lamb and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in the onion, cover and cook until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, red pepper paste and 1/2 cup of water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until the mixture begins to caramelize, about 20 minutes.
4. Add the purslane, bulgur and the reserved chickpea and lentil cooking liquids to the casserole. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Add the chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lentils, garlic and enough water to barely cover. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, stir in the lemon juice and season with salt.
5. In a small skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the spearmint, Turkish red pepper flakes and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. When the oil begins to sizzle, give it a stir and drizzle it over the stew. Stir once and let stand for 30 minutes. Serve the stew at room temperature or let cool, then refrigerate and serve chilled the following day. Pass the scallions and lemon at the table. 

Notes

Turkish red pepper paste and Turkish red pepper flakes are available at Middle Eastern groceries or from Kalustyan’s (800-352-3451).

I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cook the freshest lamb possible, something we really only get once a year. Today when we picked up our Udhiya at Mediterranean Oasis (Naperville, IL) I had no idea how I would be coooking it. I just knew it had to be something that would bring out the flavors of the fresh meat and remind us of the immense blessing for merely having it in our possession. This simplest, rustic meal did justice to it- I believe.

Lamb & Yellow Lentil Stew

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 lb. boneless lamb meat, cut into very small pieces
• a few lamb bones, preferably from the rib bone
• 1/2 teaspoon dry parsley flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dry basil
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon mint
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups yellow lentils, washed

Directions

1. Rinse and pat dry the meat with paper towels.
2. In a large Dutch oven or deep sauce man, heat butter over medium heat. When it begins to froth, add olive oil.
3. Add onions and saute until translucent. Next, add the meat and brown it on all sides. Add the bones.
4. Add all the spices. Continue to sauté for 1-2 minutes.
5. Add 2 to 2 1/2 cups water and bring the meat to a boil.
6. Add the lentils, stir then lower the heat.
7. Cover the pot and continue to cook for 20-30 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Taste to adjust any seasonings.
8. Serve in large bowls with rustic bread for dipping. It’s a meal by itself!

Bismillah and Bon Appetit!

‘Eid Mubarak to everyone reading & subscribing to My Halal Kitchen.  May you all have a blessed ‘Eid filled with loved ones, and healthy, halal food on your tables. Insha’allah, you’ll be able to use this super quick and easy recipe for your ‘Eid dinner tonight or any special night you choose to make it.

What’s so great about this recipe is that you won’t need to baste the bird throughout the cooking process nor worry about how moist yet browned on top it’ll be coming out of the oven. Use any fresh vegetables you like to surround your chicken. I used what was fresh, seasonal, and already stocked in my refrigerator.

Butter-Basted Roast Chicken

Serves 3-4 

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 lbs.)
• 4 Tb. cold butter, seasoned with your favorite dry herbs, salt & pepper
• kitchen twine
• 1 lb. crimini mushrooms
• 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. Wash and pat dry chicken. Set aside.
3. To the butter, add herbs and seasonings.
4. To a piping bag or a plastic sandwich bag with a small corner snipped off, add the seasoned butter. Squeeze the bag and push the butter to the edge, piping it under the skin of the breast of the chicken. Use your fingers to press the butter down and all the way through the underside of the skin. Pipe until all the butter is used up.
5. Tuck in the wings and tie the chicken’s feet with kitchen twine to hold them down.
6. Place the chicken, breast side up, onto the rack of a deep roasting pan.
7. Bake for 45 minutes. In the meantime, clean and cut the vegetables.
8. Turn up the heat to 375°. Add the vegetables and continue to roast for an additional 20 minutes, or until chicken is well-browned and has an internatl temperature of at least 165° on a meat thermometer.
9. Serve on a large platter, with the chicken at the center and surrounded by the beautifully roasted vegetables.

Bismillah and Bon Appetit!