Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini and Sumac

As soon as I eagerly claimed the Jerusalem cook book as mine for the month, this recipe caught my eye.  And not because it’s on the cover of the book.  I actually didn’t realize that until later.  It was as I was flipping through the book that this one jumped out at me.  Lamb, soft eggs, tahini, pistachios… so many of my favorites!  I swore to make this recipe before passing the book along at our next meeting.  I made good on that promise, although it took longer than I’d intended.  I had all the ingredients ready to go much earlier in the summer – including fresh cherry tomatoes from my CSA – but I’m ashamed to admit I let the lamb go bad.  As D-Day to return the book approached, I decided to make several Jerusalem recipes for a dinner I was hosting, starting with the baba ghanoush and finishing off with this fabulous braised lamb.

This recipe is the antithesis of the SNAPChallenge.  Lamb itself is pricey, but many of the recipes in this lovely cook book contained ingredients that even my overstuffed pantry isn’t stocked with.  Luckily, I was able to find sumac and harissa fairly easily at the spice shop in Union Market.  Even though I kept that eggs runny, they cooked in a way that you couldn’t see the yolks so my dish didn’t turn out quite as pretty as it was on the pages of the book (does it ever?!)  Still, it was delicious served family style with warm naan.

Braised Eggs with Lamb, Tahini and Sumac

Adapted from Jerusalem: A Cook Book

This concoction is Jerusalem fusion food at it’s very bet.  It incorporates traditional elements that are purely Palestinian with ingredients characteristic of various Jewish cuisine, and puts them all together in a completely nontraditional way.  The dish can be served at the center of an informal supper.  The flavors are intense and the contrasting colors and textures are also pretty dramatic, so you should really serve it on it’s own, with minimal distractions and just a piece of bread.  The list of ingredients isn’t set in stone.  Other typical Jerusalem ingredients – roasted eggplant, red pepper, Swiss chard, cooked chickpeas, chopped almonds – can be added or used as substitutes.  

For the Lamb Skillet:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (200g)
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 12 oz/300g ground lamb
• 2 tsp sumac
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios, crushed
• 2 tsp harissa powder or paste
• 1 tsp preserved lemon peel
• 1 cup (200g) cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 4 large eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Naan, to serve

For the Yogurt Sauce:

• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp tahini paste
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp water
• Chopped mint and/or cilantro (optional)

1. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in a large cast iron skillet or frying pan.  Add onion and garlic and sauté for 6 minutes, or until soft.  Add lamb, and brown for 5-6 minutes.  Season with sumac, cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and some black pepper and cook for another minute.  Turn off heat and stir in the nuts, harissa and preserved lemon peel.  Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a small skillet over high heat.  Add the cherry tomatoes and char for 4-6 minutes, tossing them in the pan until slightly blackened on the outside.
3. In a medium bowl, make the yogurt sauce by combining all the ingredients with a pinch of salt.  If it is too still, you may need to add an additional splash of water.
4. You can leave all of the components at this stage for up to an hour.  When ready to serve, add the chicken stock to the meat and bring to a boil.  Make four small wells in the mix and break an egg in each well, careful to keep the yolk in tact. Place the tomatoes on top, avoiding the yolks.  Cover and cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until the egg whites are cooked but the yolks remain runny.
5. Remove from heat and top with dollops of the yogurt sauce.  Sprinkly with sumac and herbs.  I served with warm naan.

Serves 4

Johanna