Lamb Siniyah

Lamb Siniyah

For the lamb:

• 4 Tbs Olive Oil

• 2 lb  Lamb stew meat

• 1½ C  Onion, diced

• 2 C  Celery, chopped

• 2 Tbs  Teeny Tiny Spice blend of your choice (See suggested blends below)

• 1 Tbs  Tomato paste

• 1 lb Tomato, chopped

• ½ C Pine nuts, toasted

• 2 C Parsley, chopped

• ¼ tsp Salt

• Black pepper

Suggested Teeny Tiny Spice blends: Za’atar, Ras el Hanout, Harissa, Ethiopian Berberé

For the tahini sauce:

• 6 oz Tahini

• 2 Tbs Lemon juice

• 1  Garlic clove, minced

• ¼ tsp salt

• 6 oz Water

Instructions:

1. In a casserole pan over medium heat, brown the lamb in 2 Tbs of olive oil.

2. Add the additional 2 Tbs of olive oil, onion and celery, and cook until the vegetables are soft.

3. Stir in the Teeny Tiny Spice blend, ¼ tsp salt, and a grind of black pepper.

4. Stir in the tomato paste.

5. Stir in ½ of the chopped tomatoes.

6. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the meat is tender, about an hour.

7. Uncover and allow the sauce to thicken up a bit.

8. Preheat the oven to 400˚ F.

9. While the stew is thickening up, make the tahini sauce by blending together the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, water and ¼ tsp of salt, adding additional water as needed to bring it to a heavy cream consistency.

10. Stir the remaining chopped tomato, pine nuts and parsley into the lamb mixture.

11. Pour the tahini mixture over the lamb, cover and bake for 20 minutes.

12. Uncover the pan and bake until the tahini crust is a golden brown, about 20 more minutes.