Armenian Lamb Stew

Welcome back!

Well, my girlfriend and I took a swing at Tass Kebab recently. I found the recipe in "On Our Immigrant Ancestors" (by The Frugal Gourmet) in the Armenian section. I really like lamb, so I thought it was worth a try.

First, we had to cut up 2 pounds of lamb into manageable pieces. The recipe called for boneless leg, but I opted for the cheaper route of two 1-pound lamb steak packages (4 steaks total) with the bones. Navigating the bones was a bit tricky, but we managed.

The next step was to finish the prep work. She made short work of chopping 2 medium onions. Meanwhile, I diluted 1/4 cup of tomato paste in 1/2 cup water. Then we melted 2 tablespoons butter in a frying pan.

The next step was browning the lamb in the butter. Using a slotted spoon, we scooped up the lamb into a Dutch oven. Then we sautéed the onions in the butter and lamb drippings. In the pot they went too.

Also came into the pot 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each of paprika, black pepper and ground allspice. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon went in the pot too, along with the diluted tomato paste. We gave the mixture a good stir. It looked rather dry, but I didn't panic. We covered the pot, and simmered the stew for 45 minutes. We checked it once, and to my amazement we had a sauce.

Then came 2 tablespoons red wine, briefly stirred in. We put the lid back on and simmered about another 15 minutes.

The recipe said to serve the stew over rice, but we opted to eat in cereal bowls, minus the sauce. It was really good, but it went fast. I suggest serving it the original way, to make it stretch. Don't waste the sauce like we did. If you think you don't like lamb, this recipe will convert you. Trust me! One last thing... next time we might try adding bell pepper. It's not purist, but I think it would be authentic.

An Appetizer Before The Lamb

Ciao! I'm back, and I thought I should tide you over until the lamb episode. This is one of my favorite appetizers/side dishes. It's sort of like cranberry relish, only with raisins instead of cranberries. Lets get started...

First you grind together the following:

10 black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons anise seeds

Then you add that spice powder to a food processor along with

1 teaspoon minced garlic (or 2 cloves of garlic)
3/4 pound golden raisins (about half a box will do)
1 tablespoon dried cilantro
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup sugar or Splenda
5 tablespoons white vinegar
1/2 cup water

Grind that all together to a thick paste, but a little chunky.

This is a good appetizer served with spoons, or a good side dish. You can also try it on pork chops. This recipe is an adaptation of the Frugal Gourmet's Navratna Chutney. The end result is sweet, spicy, and tart, all at the same time, but it won't set your mouth on fire. This is one of my forays into Indian cooking, and I hope you enjoy it. Bon appetit!

Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to my new blog. Here I plan to chronicle my cooking and baking adventures. I use recipes from around the world, but I specialize in chicken stews and European goulash. I also cook/bake Spanish and Portuguese recipes often. My first crack at culinary journalism (at least in a long time), though, will be an Armenian stew with my favorite meat... namely lamb... recipe courtesy of the late Frugal Gourmet. I hope whatever he might have been accused of doesn't dissuade you from tuning in. I hope to write again soon. Lastly, for those who read my programming blogs, I haven't forgotten you! I have some CouchDB goodies I plan to send your way. Adeus, amigos e amigas, and I hope to see you again soon!