Khoresh Gheimeh
(Lamb, dried lime and tomato casserole)
When thumbing through Victoria Moore's excellent new book, The Wine
Dine Dictionary, the following recipe leapt out at me, partly for the use of an
ingredient I hadn't heard of before and was intrigued by, but also because it
sounds delicious, a little different, and the perfect partner for this month's
Explore bottle, Sendiäna Rouge 2014 from Lebanon. Victoria says that you
can't really replicate the exquisite taste of dried limes, so if you don't have
access to a Middle Eastern grocery, they can be ordered online.
Joanna Goodman, News Editor
'Dried limes are used in Middle Eastern cooking.
They are intensely aromatic and the lime comes
through in a very dusty and earthy, rather than in
a sharp, way. They have a tendency to take over a
dish, and when that happens I look to reds that
remind you of the soil and heat. Those from
Greece, Lebanon, Turkey and Portugal often work
well. The recipe below is an adaptation of a classic
Iranian dish. I love the strong flavour of the limes
in it so much that I break them up and squeeze them over the food on my plate to
get even more of the dusty limeyness out. If dried limes are an alien flavour, maybe
just use one the first time you make this, as the taste is quite powerful.'
Ingredients Serves 3-4
- Olive oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- 500g lamb, diced
- 1 pinch of saffron, mixed with 2 tbsp warm water
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1 x 400g tin (whole) tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 3 dried limes, pierced a couple of times with a metal skewer or corkscrew
- 150g split yellow peas, rinsed in cold water
- 500ml water
- 1 aubergine
- plain yoghurt to serve (optional)
Method
Victoria Moore
Author and wine correspondent, The Daily Telegraph & BBC Good Food
Put 2 tbsps of olive oil in a small casserole dish, heat gently, add the onions and
fry until they are almost soft and translucent. Add the garlic, stir and continue to
cook until both garlic and onions are pale gold. Use a slotted spoon to take them
out of the pan and set aside. Now brown the lamb in the same pan, turning up
the heat and adding more oil if necessary. Return the onion mixture to the pan
and stir in the saffron, cinnamon, cumin, coriander and turmeric. Cook for a
couple of minutes, stirring. Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with the edge of
the spoon as you stir, and the tomato purée. Pour some of the water into the
tomato can, swirl it around and then add all the water to the pan along with the
dried limes. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 45 minutes. Now stir in the split
yellow peas and carry on simmering, partially covered, for 45-60 minutes. Check
to make sure the casserole does not simmer dry, adding more
water if necessary. While the casserole is cooking, slice the
aubergine and cut into strips. Fry these in oil until they are
golden and cooked, then put them on a plate, layered with
kitchen roll to absorb the grease. The stew is ready when the
pulses are completely cooked through and the sauce has
thickened. Serve with rice studded with little chunks of cold
butter, and the aubergine strips scattered on top, with a dish of
yoghurt on the side if you like.
Victoria Moore
Author and wine correspondent, The Daily Telegraph & BBC Good Food
Book offer
The Wine Dine Dictionary doesn't just help you to find
the perfect wine for dinner or the perfect dinner
for a particular wine – it also explains why certain
combinations work. More than that, it has chapters on
the psychology of taste and the language of wine, and
is peppered with enticing recipes that make you want
to drop everything and cook. Fellow wine and food
journalist Fiona Beckett said she didn't know whether
to keep it by her bed or in the kitchen as it's a brilliant read, and we agree.
We have negotiated a special price with the publishers Granta for members to buy The Wine Dine Dictionary (400pp/hardback) through Foyles online for £13 (rrp £20), a discount of 35%. Order before the end of December at foyles.co.uk using the following promotional code: WineSoc. Only valid on regular web orders, not on click & collect.
> View all recipes
November 2017