Buttered Lamb Pilaf with Pine Nuts, Currants, and Simple Cucumber Yogurt

Lamb browns in clarified butter, then simmers with rice, pine nuts, currants, and cinnamon under cool cucumber yogurt. Copper Steam Over Topkapı remembers such dishes from Topkapı’s Matbah-ı Âmire, where rice was dragged toward sweating copper cauldrons before dawn.

Serves 4

Estimate for one serving

• 585 cal
• 10.4g protein
• 32.5g carbs
• 6.8g fat
• 3g fiber

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Ingredients

• 1 1/4 lb boneless lamb shoulder
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 4 cups lamb or chicken stock
• 2 medium onion
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1/3 cup currants
• 6 tbsp clarified butter
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 large cucumber
• 1 1/2 cups plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp dried mint
• 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

1. 1Cut the lamb into 3/4-inch cubes, finely chop one onion, and mince the garlic.
2. 2Melt clarified butter in a heavy pot, add the lamb and cook gently until lightly browned, then remove and set aside.
3. 3In the same pot, add the chopped onion and cook until soft, then return the lamb, add half the cinnamon and salt, and pour in the stock.
4. 4Bring to a simmer, skim any foam, cover and cook gently for 35 minutes until the lamb is tender.
5. 5While the lamb simmers, rinse the rice until the water runs clear and soak in warm water for 10 minutes.
6. 6In a separate small pan, melt clarified butter and toast the pine nuts until golden, then set aside.
7. 7Drain the rice, add it to the lamb pot along with the currants, stir gently to coat in the fat, then cover and steam on low heat for 15-18 minutes until the rice is cooked and the liquid absorbed.
8. 8Fluff the pilaf with a fork, fold in the toasted pine nuts and remaining clarified butter.
9. 9For the yogurt sauce, grate the cucumber, squeeze out excess water, mix with the yogurt, minced garlic, dried mint, remaining cinnamon and salt.
10. 10Serve the pilaf warm with the cucumber yogurt on the side.