Braised Lamb with Smoky Eggplant Bechamel — Hunkar Begendi
Ottoman braised lamb in tomato-pepper sauce served over a smoky charred aubergine bechamel, finished with butter-bloomed Aleppo pepper and parsley for a celebratory palace-style centrepiece dish.
Turkish
Categories
Nutrition per Serving
Ingredients
For 2 servings
Instructions
Prep
Pierce both aubergines with a fork. Pat lamb dry, season with half the salt and pepper. Dice onions and capsicums, mince garlic, grate tomatoes and kasar cheese, chop parsley. Set all ingredients within reach.
Sear
Heat 40ml olive oil in a heavy lidded pan over medium-high 2 minutes. Sear lamb in batches 5 minutes until deeply browned all over. Lift onto a plate.
Saute
In the same pan over medium, cook onions and capsicums 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, pul biber, cumin, remaining salt over medium 1 minute until darkened.
Braise
Return lamb, add grated tomato, bay leaves, hot stock. Bring to gentle simmer over medium 1 minute, cover, reduce to low, braise 50 minutes until fork-tender. While lamb braises, char both aubergines on high gas flame or under broiler 15 minutes turning until skin blackens and flesh collapses. Steam covered 5 minutes off heat.
Build 1
Peel hot charred aubergines into a paste. Melt 60g butter in a saucepan over medium 1 minute, whisk in flour, cook 90 seconds until pale gold and nutty. Stream milk in whisking constantly over medium-low 4 minutes until thickened.
Build 2
Off heat, fold aubergine paste, kasar, bechamel salt, white pepper into the roux until combined. Bloom 20g butter with 1 tsp pul biber over medium 60 seconds until red and fragrant.
Plate
Spoon aubergine bechamel onto warm plates, ladle braised lamb stew over, drizzle red butter, scatter parsley, serve immediately.
Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.