Why This Works Without Smell
I won't vouch for how Armenian this really is — I adapted it from a very old English recipe book that my mum still uses, so it's more than likely just an English version of something vaguely middle-eastern — but either way, this is a real crowd-pleaser and is very easy to scale up for a large dinner party where the guests will praise your culinary prowess whether they can taste or not.
The lamb stew is glossy, smooth, soft and deeply savoury with a salty edge, which, when accompanied with a pilaf that has the bursting sweetness of raisins (or sultanas or currants) and the nutty crunch and slight bitterness of toasted almonds (or pistachios or hazelnuts), makes a plate of food that is a delcious blend of textures and tastes that even anosmiacs will love.
I serve this with a sharp green salad to add a hint of slightly sour freshness, which ensures that I hit most of the flavour profiles on one plate: umami and salt with the lamb; sweet and bitter with the pilaf; sour with the salad; texture all the way.
Ingredients
Armenian lamb stew
- 1 kg boneless fillet end leg of lamb
- 50g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 3 medium onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 250ml - 350ml lamb or chicken stock
- Salt, pepper
Pilaf
- 400g basmati rice
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 600ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 100g raisins
- 50g toasted flaked almonds
- A few knobs of butter
- A small bunch chopped parsley
Method
Armenian lamb stew
1. Prepare and brown the lamb
Cut the lamb into cubes roughly a couple of centimetres square and season with some salt and pepper.
Add half the butter and 1 tbsp of the oil to a large casserole and put on a high heat until the butter is foaming.
Brown the lamb in batches, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. You want the lamb to have some dark brown around the edges, but don't cook through.
2. Brown the onions and garlic
Add the rest of the butter, reduce the heat to medium and add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt.
Fry, stirring, for about 5 - 10 minutes until the onions are transluscent and slightly coloured. If the pan starts smoking too much, add a little more oil.
3. Add the flour and spices
Still on a medium heat, add the flour and spices.
Keep stirring for a couple of minutes, then add the tomato purée and stir through for another couple of minutes, until the onions are coated in a smooth, glossy paste.
4. Add stock, lamb and cook
Reduce the heat a bit, add 250ml of the stock a splash at a time, and scrape the brown fonds from the bottom of the casserole. This is your gravy and is very important.
Add back the lamb, stir, cover and cook on a low heat for about 60 - 75 minutes, checking every now and then that it isn't getting too dry. If it is, add in some more stock.
Pilaf
5. Soak the rice and raisins.
While the stew is cooking, rinse the rice with cold water and put in a bowl, covered with more water, for about half an hour.
Seperately, put the raisins in a small bowl and cover with water to rehydrate.
6. Brown the onion
Melt the butter with the oil in a saucepan that has a lid. When it is foaming, add the onion and fry for five minutes, until transluscent.
7. Add rice and cook
Add the rice, stirring to coat with the buttery onion, then add the stock.
Bring almost to the simmer, then cover and turn the heat right down.
Cook for 10 minutes, then switch off the heat and leave to steam for another 10 minutes.
8. Add raisins and almonds
Lift the lid off the saucepan and quickly check that the rice is cooked through. If not, put the lid back on and leave it to steam a little longer.
Drain the raisins and add them to the rice with the almonds, then stir with a fork to fluff up.
Add a few small knobs of butter and stir through again, then scatter the chpped parsley on top.
9. Put it all together and serve
The lamb stew should be glossy with a thick gravy. If the gravy seems too thin, cook on a slightly higher heat with the lid off, stirring, for a few minutes - don't worry, the pilaf will stay warm in the saucepan.
Serve with a sharp green salad.
Tips
The meat: As ever, the better the quality of your ingredients, the better the dish will be. In this case, spend a bit more for a decent bit of lamb. It doesn't really need to be leg, you can make it from shoulder or even lamb steaks, and don't worry too much about cutting off all the fat, it cooks long enough for it to render down.