Aladdin's Lamb

It may come as something of a surprise to the great mass of Americans whose sole culinary contact with genus Ovis consists of lamb stew and lamb chops, that there is no meat more steeped in ancient lore or more delectably adaptable to exotic variations. Near Eastern wise men have lionized lamb for several millennia. So avid were these ancients in their appreciation of lamb that a Samaritan prophet had to rebuke his people for eating too much of it. Not so today. From the windswept slopes of Greece, where the natives stuff their grape leaves with ground lamb, through the Levant and the arid wastes of North Africa, where burnoosed Bedouins feast on juicy, butter-tender kebabs grilled on sticks over a desert fire, lamb is universally devoured and still held in almost reverential esteem.

Near Easterners, astute shepherds that they are, know that the best lamb for eating must have its youthful bloom intact when it goes to the sacrificial fire. In this country we call it spring lamb. It was once available only during the spring months, but now it provides year-round provender. The worthy chef should learn to recognize spring lamb by its color. The flesh must be light-hued, a shade deeper than pink veal, but nevertheless a vivid light red. Its flesh is close-grained, velvety to the touch, with reddish porous bones. In a display case you will frequently spot cuts of lamb taken from older carcasses by their deeper shades of red. Buy the lightest in color and the lightest in weight. A six-pound leg will invariably be sweeter and "cleaner" in taste than an eight-pound leg which, having reached the point of diminishing returns, usually gives itself away with a woolly or muttony aroma when it's carved. Lamb that's a year old, called yearling, cannot conceal this strong, past-its-prime flavor, and no herb nor spice nor artifice of seasoning will ever revive its youth.

The one pledge which every amateur chef must take is to never broil nor roast lamb to the overdone, massacred stage. Like roast beef or beefsteak, the pink juices must be frisking over the rare meat. This dictum, of course, doesn't apply to stewed or braised lamb.

In the days of the old sheikdoms the only time lamb was ever upstaged was at very important state dinners when guests of honor sat before a huge table topped with a barbecued camel stuffed with three lambs, each of which was stuffed with five chickens, each of which was stuffed with 10 eggs, the whole steaming menagerie resting atop a mountain of rice. Bachelors today who haven't had too much experience with camel cookery can, nevertheless, offer munificent portions of lamb in its stead. In many cities you can now buy the slightly leavened bread called khubuz which Near Easterners use as both plate and spoon. Americans like it split crosswise and toasted. It should be proffered in superabundance. Both wheat pilaf and rice pilaf are now sold in packages containing all needed seasonings, and portions of these should be prodigal.

While the East may be mysterious in myriad ways, its cuisine, though exotically flavored, is simply conceived and easily concocted. If the larder in your tent requires such offbeat foods as shelled pine nuts, vine leaves or sesame oil, you'll find them wherever there's a Syrian, Turkish, Greek or other Near Eastern food dispensary, as well as in many gourmet shops. If you find a recipe calling for boulghour, again rest easy. This is simply another word for cracked wheat, not to be confused with wheat germ. Cracked wheat is available in so-called (Allah forgive us) health-food stores.

Even the names of exotic Near Eastern dishes, which seem forbidding when untranslated, turn out to be delightfully descriptive in English. Most Americans now know that the Arabic word shish means meat and kebab, skewer. The Turkish kadin budu, which is ground meat shaped in the form of an oval cutlet, means literally "lady's thigh"; kadingogobegi, a small pastry sold in Near Eastern bakeries, means "lady's navel," the obvious shape of the delicate dough. It would be a rash assumption, however, to infer that Turkish cookery is completely preoccupied with female anatomy.

For their inspiration, Near Eastern cooks draw on both the Far East and the West. Following the Indian ritual, they unleash the flavor-granting genie of such spices as cumin, coriander and cloves by grinding them with mortar and pestle, a bit of enchantment that can be performed at least a thousand times faster in an electric blender. Now and then they will serve curry blazing like an oriental lamp in a vast food bazaar. In deference to their Italian neighbors across the Mediterranean, they daily bow to the call of the onion and the garlic bulb. As early as the 1600s, Turkish records were describing how, when Satan left Paradise and stepped on earth, "garlic sprang up on the spot where he set his left foot and onions where he set his right. Nevertheless both are very pleasant foods." Like the Italians, too, they revel in a wild profusion of silky purple eggplants, pine nuts and hot peppers, scallions and tomatoes, olives and their oil.

With nary an assist from Gayelord Hauser, Near Easterners have created a thousand and one dishes with yogurt. Yogurt is one of a race of fermented milks, the oldest of which is kumiss, a potent potable made from camel's milk. Yogurt, in the Near Eastern kitchen, is what wine is in a French kitchen -- an indispensable catalyst that frolics midst marinades, soups, stews and sauces. Its flavor is impudent and tart. It makes its mark not with a frontal assault but with a persistent, sly tantalization of the taste buds that soon becomes the most pleasant kind of addiction. One of the most delightful of the Lebanese salads is sliced cucumber in yogurt with finely chopped scallions topped with a sprinkling of chopped mint.

In planning the orgia for your own digs, you'll want to make a sacrificial bow to Dionysius, Greek god and giver of the grape, with a superb dessert wine from Greece -- mavrodaphne -- a potable closely akin to a deep rich madeira. In Greece, the most popular wine with lamb is retsina, a light white wine containing resin which was originally used as a preservative. A word of caution: it's the kind of wine for which a taste must be acquired, and it won't be acquired quickly. For the conclusion of the feast, Greek metaxa hardly needs an endorsement here. One of the world's great thoroughbred brandies, it should be inhaled and sipped slowly while the taste of thick Turkish coffee is still on the tongue.

[recipeTitle]Stuffed Grape Leaves (Dolmas)[/recipeTitle]

(Six appetizer portions)

[recipe]24 grape leaves Additional leaves from jar as needed[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. ground lamb[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup rice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small onion, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small clove garlic, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon dried mint leaves[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon ground mace[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 pint chicken broth, canned or fresh[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup olive oil French dressing[/recipe]

Soak the 24 grape leaves in water overnight. Wash well. Drain. Place leaves in a pot, covered with cold water. Simmer 20 minutes. Drain. Sauté rice, onion and garlic in oil over a low flame, stirring constantly, until rice turns deep yellow. Combine rice with ground lamb, mint leaves, salt, mace and pepper, mixing well. For each portion place 2 grape leaves overlapping each other slightly, shiny side down, on a flat surface. Place 2 teaspoons of the lamb mixture on the leaves. Roll leaves up, loosely because rice expands during cooking, folding in sides to enclose meat. Place a layer of grape leaves from jar on the bottom of a wide saucepan. Place stuffed grape leaves, open side down, in pan. Cover with additional leaves from jar. Add chicken broth. Place a dish on top to hold leaves in place. Simmer slowly until chicken broth has evaporated. Avoid scorching. Remove stuffed grape leaves from pan. Place in a shallow casserole or hors d'oeuvres dish. Spoon French dressing on top. Chill thoroughly in refrigerator. Place stuffed grape leaves on lettuce leaves, garnished with cherry tomatoes and scallions. Serve as a first course.

(continued on page 146)

Aladdin's Lamb

(continued from page 84)

[recipeTitle]Grilled Marinated Lamb Steaks (Kepama)[/recipeTitle]

(Serves four)

[recipe]4 lamb steaks, 8 to 10 ozs. each, cut from center of leg of lamb[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cumin seed[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon coriander seed[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon cracked red pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/3 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]Juice of 1 lemon[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large onion, sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 smashed clove garlic Sweet butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lemon cut into wedges[/recipe]

[recipe]4 large sprigs watercress[/recipe]

Slash the edge of each lamb steak in several places to prevent curling during broiling. Put the cumin seed, coriander seed, black pepper and red pepper in the well of an electric blender. Blend until spices are coarsely ground. Add oil, salt and lemon juice to blender. Blend a few seconds more. In a shallow bowl or casserole combine the oil mixture with the sliced onion and garlic. Add lamb steaks. Marinate about two hours, turning lamb steaks several times to coat thoroughly with mixture. Broil lamb steaks quickly over a very hot charcoal fire. Brush with butter just before serving. Garnish with lemon wedges and watercress.

[recipeTitle]Lamb Meat Balls, Dill Sauce (Kufta)[/recipeTitle]

(Serves four)

[drinkRecipe]1 lb. freshly ground lamb[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1-1/2 teaspoons salt[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon ground coriander[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 onion, finely minced[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 cup cracked wheat, must be smallest (fine) size[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 egg, well beaten[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 quart water[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]2 envelopes instant chicken broth[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 cup butter[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/4 cup flour[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 cup yogurt[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon dried dill weed[/drinkRecipe]

Combine lamb with salt, pepper, coriander, cinnamon, onion, cracked wheat and egg. Mix very well. Shape into balls no more than 3/4 in. in diameter. In a wide saucepan bring water to a boil. Add instant chicken broth and half the meat balls. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Remove meat balls from pan. Add balance of meat balls and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Strain and measure broth. There should be 1 pint liquid. If necessary, simmer until it is reduced to 1 pint. Keep liquid hot. In another saucepan melt butter. Remove from fire. Slowly stir in flour, blending very well. Slowly add hot chicken broth, stirring constantly with wire whip. Return to a moderate flame. Add meat balls. Simmer very slowly 10 minutes. Remove from fire. Stir in yogurt and dill weed. If meat balls are to be reheated before serving or reheated the next day, use a double boiler.

[recipeTitle]Eggplant and Lamb Casserole[/recipeTitle]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1 large or 2 small eggplants, total weight about 1-3/4 to 2 lbs.[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. boneless chuck of lamb[/recipe]

[recipe]2 slices stale white bread[/recipe]

[recipe]1/3 cup diced fennel[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium onion[/recipe]

[recipe]2-oz. can mushrooms, drained[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 teaspoons salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon ground cumin[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon white pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 whole egg[/recipe]

[recipe]1 egg yolk[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]8-oz. can prepared tomato sauce Olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped bay leaves[/recipe]

Cut eggplant in half lengthwise. Place in a large saucepan fitted with lid. Add I cup water. Simmer, covered, until eggplant is steamed tender. Drain eggplant. When cool enough to handle, scoop out eggplant meat, leaving about 1/4 in. of eggplant shell. Brush an 8-in. casserole with olive oil. Place the pieces of eggplant shell, purple side down, in the casserole, covering bottom and as much of the sides as possible. Cut eggplant if necessary to fit into place. Soak bread in cold water, squeezing gently to eliminate excess water. Put the eggplant meat, lamb, fennel, onion, bread and mushrooms through a meat grinder twice, using the fine blade. Combine ground lamb mixture with salt, cumin, cayenne pepper, white pepper, whole egg and egg yolk. Add bread crumbs. Mix well. Pile lamb mixture into casserole, spreading evenly. Bake in preheated oven at 375° 30 minutes or until mixture is firm. Heat tomato sauce with 1 tablespoon olive oil and bay leaves 5 minutes. If there is excess liquid in casserole, tilt casserole to pour it off. Turn eggplant upside down on serving platter to unmold. Again, if there is any excess liquid on platter, tilt it gently and pour off. Pour sauce around eggplant on platter. Cut into pie-shaped wedges to serve.

[recipeTitle]Lamb Cutlets (Kadin Budu)[/recipeTitle]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1 1b. chopped lamb[/recipe]

[recipe]3 ozs. semisoft cheese, such as bel paese or process gruyere[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup precooked rice Olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small onion, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon crumbled dry mint[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon garlic powder[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs, well beaten[/recipe]

Force the cheese through the large holes of a square metal grater. Bring wine to a boil. Add rice. Remove from fire. Rice will absorb wine. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet over a low flame. Add onion and sauté until it turns yellow, not brown. Add meat. Cook, stirring constantly, breaking up meat as much as possible, until meat turns light brown. Remove meat from fire and put it in a large mixing bowl with cheese, rice, mint, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Knead the mixture about five minutes; that is, squeeze it and push with the palm of the hand, until all ingredients cohere. For each cutlet take about 1/4 cup mixture, and shape it gently into an oval form about 3/4 in. thick and 2-1/2 in. long. The shape of the "lady's thigh" is best, actually, if it's made flat on two wide sides to permit uniform browning. Melt butter in an electric skillet preheated at 325°. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Dip each cutlet (gently, to avoid breaking) into egg. Sauté until medium brown on both sides.

After unsheepishly sharing this sheikly lamb-laden feast, your guests will honor you as the seventh son of a seventh son.