Description
Here is a true comfort food: a beautifully rich lamb stew sitting on a bed of smoky eggplant puree. A perfect main course for a dinner party or family meal. Try to marinate the lamb overnight. The eggplant can also be char-grilled beforehand.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Lamb Leg Or Shoulder, Cut Into 1 Inch Cubes
- 4 cloves Garlic, Crushed
- 2 leaves Bay Leaves, Divided
- 2 Medium Red Onions, Finely Chopped, Divided
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste (double If Not Using Turkish Pepper Paste)
- 2 Tablespoons Turkish Pepper Paste (double Tomato Paste If Not Using)
- Sea Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- 5 whole Large Eggplants
- 2 Tablespoons Olive Oli
- 2 Green Bell Peppers, Diced
- 4 Medium Tomatoes
- 6 Dried Figs (optional)
- 6-½ Tablespoons Butter, Divided
- 1 cup Hot Water (boiled Water Allowed To Cool)
- ¼ cups Flour, All Purpose
- 1-¼ cup Milk
- ½ cups Feta
- ⅓ cups Parsley, Finely Chopped
Preparation
Place lamb in a bowl. Add garlic. Add 1 of the 2 bay leaves and 1 of the 2 chopped red onions. Add tomato paste and pepper paste. Season with sea salt and ground pepper. Stir to combine, cover with kitchen wrap and refrigerate overnight or until needed.
Place whole eggplants on an open bbq grill (open fire or gas). Cook over high heat and turn occasionally until skin is charred. Remove and allow the eggplants to cool. They may collapse at this stage. Don’t worry, that is what we want! When cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and remove the flesh, leaving behind the charred skin. Mash, cover with kitchen wrap and store in the refrigerator until needed for the puree.
Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add olive oil and remaining bay leaf and red onion. Stir until onion is translucent. Add green bell peppers and stir for another 1 minute. Then add reserved lamb mixture, tomatoes, dried figs, 3 tablespoons butter and hot water. Stir to combine and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. Check for seasoning when about to serve.
When stew has about 10 minutes to go, prepare eggplant puree. In a separate saucepan, melt remaining butter over a low to medium heat. Add flour and stir for about 2 minutes. Turn heat up to medium. Then slowly add milk, whisking as you go. Then add eggplant mash, stirring often for about 5 minutes. The mixture should thicken. Then add feta cheese and stir for an additional 2 minutes.
To serve, place the eggplant puree on the plates and top with the stew. Garnish with parsley.
