Lamb Fesenjan – Lamb with Pomegranate Walnut Sauce

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This recipe is courtesy of Saad Fayed. A restaurateur with an avid interest in preparing Middle Eastern cuisine, he has lived and traveled in many Middle Eastern countries, experiencing the flavors and specialties of each region. Saad is currently writing a cookbook that features his family’s favorite dishes. Pomegranate syrup (also known as pomegranate molasses) can be purchased online from The Spice House.

Ingredients

large onion, sliced

1/4 cup olive oil

2 pounds lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 cup pomegranate syrup

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups walnuts, crushed

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon tumeric

1/2 teaspoon cardamom, ground

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

In a large frying pan, sauté onions in olive oil. Once onions begin to brown add lamb cubes. Simmer on low and allow to cook for about 25 minutes.

In the meantime, prepare pomegranate sauce by combining the chicken stock, pomegranate syrup, walnuts, and sugar in saucepan over low heat. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

Once lamb is done simmering, drain fat and juices. Add spices and mix well. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add pomegranate sauce and cook over low heat for about 10 minutes.

Serve immediately with white rice. Sprinkle toasted walnuts on top for garnish.

Heat scale: mild

Roast Duck Breasts with Pomegranate-Chile Sauce

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The pomegranate component in this dish is provided by another popular product: Pom brand bottled pomegranate juice. This can be made with chicken breasts instead, but be sure to roast them until cooked through. Recipe courtesy of Selma Brown Morrow of Bon Appétit.

Ingredients

Sauce:

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

2 cups refrigerated pomegranate juice (such as Pom)

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

4 large dried New Mexican chiles, stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo*

1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (not toasted)

Coarse kosher salt


Duck:

8 5-to 6-ounce boneless duck breast halves, skin and fat trimmed to size of breast

Coarse kosher salt

Ground coriander

Fresh pomegranate seeds

Instructions

For sauce:
Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add juice, broth, and California chiles. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Puree in tightly covered blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Whisk in adobo sauce, vinegar, and cumin. Season to taste with generous amount of coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before using.


For duck:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Score skin of duck (don’t cut into flesh) with 5 cuts in 1 direction; repeat in opposite direction, making diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck all over with coarse salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Place 2 large ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin side down, to skillets, dividing equally. Cook duck until skin is crisp and deep brown, about 7 minutes. Turn duck over; cook 1 minute. Pour off fat. Transfer skillets to oven. Roast duck until cooked to medium-rare, about 5 minutes.

Transfer duck to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice each breast crosswise on slight diagonal. Arrange slices on plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.

Heat scale: medium

*Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

Ngapi Ye (Hot Burmese Anchovy Sauce)

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This highly aromatic Burmese sauce is commonly used to heat up Southeast
Asian curries. Shrimp or prawn paste may be substituted for the
fermented dried fish if you can’t find it at the Asian market. In a
pinch, use canned anchovy fillets.

Ingredients

2 cups fermented dried fish or anchovies
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup shrimp powder (available in Asian markets)
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons lime juice
6 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

In a saucepan, bring the fish and water to a boil, then reduce the heat,
simmer for five minutes, and mash the fish. Remove from the heat and
when the mixture cools, add the remaining ingredients and stir well.

Salsa all’Arrabiata (Enraged Sauce)

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This recipe is from Giuliano Bugialli as profiled by Nancy Gerlach, who 
met him in Rome. She commented: “This in an all-purpose sauce that can 
be used on a variety of pastas. To really 'enrage' the sauce, replace 
the crushed New Mexican chile with chiltepíns or piquin chiles.”

Ingredients

3 pounds fresh Roma or plum tomatoes, cut in half or substitute 1 
16-ounce can of peeled Italian tomatoes
2 teaspoons crushed red New Mexican chile
3 large cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil or oregano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Place the cut tomatoes side down on a cookie pan and bake in the oven 
for 10 minutes or until they are soft. Puree the tomatoes, place in a 
saucepan, and simmer.
In a large skillet, saute the chile and garlic in the oil until the 
garlic is soft.
Add the chile mixture and sugar to the tomatoes. Season with the black 
pepper and salt and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens.
Remove from the heat and stir in the fresh herbs.

Salsa Amatriciana (Spicy Amatrice Sauce)

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From the Sabine town of Amatrice comes this simple but great pasta 
sauce. Traditionally, it is served over bucatini, a spaghetti-like pasta 
that has a hole in it, like a straw. It is then sprinkled with grated 
pecorino romano cheese.

Ingredients

1/2 cup olive oil
1 pound pancetta or smoked bacon, chopped
2 onions, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small, hot red chiles, such as santaka, Thai, or piquin, crushed into 
a coarse powder
2 28-ounce cans Italian plum tomatoes, drained, 1 cup juice reserved
Cayenne powder to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large sauce pan, add the pancetta and cook over medium 
heat until browned, about 20 minutes. Stir occasionally to brown the 
pancetta evenly. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. 
Remove all but 1/2 cup of the remaining fat.
Add the onions and saute until golden, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic 
and crushed chiles and saute for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash 
them with a spoon. Increase the heat, add the reserved tomato juice and 
the pancetta, and boil until thickened, 5 to 7 minutes.
Taste for heat and seasonings and adjust with cayenne, salt, and pepper.