FOOD + DRINK
in THE KITCHEN WITH cont...
AKIN’ S SULTAN’ S DELIGHT( HÜNKAR BEĞENDI)
Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 1 hour Serves: 4
Ingredients:
For the lamb:
• 600g diced lamb
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 300ml lamb or chicken stock
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt & black pepper
For the aubergine purée:
• 2 large aubergines
• 40g butter
• 1 tbsp plain flour
• 200ml milk
• Small handful grated cheese( kaşar or mozzarella)
• Pinch of nutmeg
• Salt
For the crispy potatoes:
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Pinch of salt & paprika
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a casserole pan and add the lamb, browning gently on all sides.
2. Add onion and garlic, cooking until soft and fragrant.
3. Stir in the tomato paste, paprika and cumin, then add stock and season well. Cover and simmer for 45- 60 minutes until tender.
4. Meanwhile, char the aubergines directly over a flame or roast until soft, then scoop out the flesh.
5. Melt butter in a pan, add flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in milk to form a smooth béchamel.
6. Stir in the aubergine, cheese and nutmeg. Season to taste.
7. Spoon the warm aubergine purée onto plates and top with the braised lamb.
8. Before plating, toss diced potatoes with olive oil, salt and paprika, then roast at 200 ° C for 20- 25 minutes until golden and crispy. Alternatively shallow-fry in a pan until crisp.
TOP TIP: Vegetarians can replace the lamb with charred mushrooms gently braised with tomato, onion and paprika. Alternatively, roasted aubergine chunks with chickpeas and smoked paprika provide a rich, hearty plant-based variation while keeping the dish’ s traditional character.
86 • www. insidekent. co. uk