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Mansaf

مَنْسَف

Lamb Shoulder with Rice, Pine Nuts and Almonds, and Jameed Sauce

Mansaf is the national dish of Jordan, a Bedouin delicacy that is served on special occasions. If you’re invited for a meal and mansaf is on the menu, consider yourself well respected by your hosts. A lot of tradition surrounds this meal, and we respect it every time by gathering around a big round tray to roll mansaf balls with our hands and pop them into our mouths without touching the lips — usually your own, but anyone’s fair game, according to my late dad’s own tradition! The only time your hands can touch your lips is when you’re done eating (usually secretly licking your fingers clean on your way to the sink). 

Jameed, the main ingredient, is dried goat yogurt that has a distinct rich, salty and tart flavour, not everyone’s cup of tea, you will either love it or hate it. Lamb shoulder is best used for this recipe, as it has enough fat and the Jameed helps tenderize it even more. It’s usually served with rice and panfried pine nuts and almonds, but I also like a side of freekeh with it, I find the combination simply irresistible.

Servings: 8

Ingredients

Lamb:

  • 3 kg bone-in lamb shoulder, cut into 2½-inch pieces
  • 4 litres water
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 cinnamon sticks
  • 8 cardamom pods
  • 1 onion, sliced in half

Jameed Sauce:

  • 2 Jameed balls (450 g each) 
  • 10 cups water
  • 1 kg goat yogurt (or 1 Litre Shaninah)

Rice:

  • 2 tbsp samneh baladi (ghee)
  • 5 cups medium-grain white rice
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 7½ cups boiling water

Freekeh:

  • 2 tbsp samneh baladi (ghee)
  • 4 cups freekeh
  • 2 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 litre boiling water

Pan-fried Nuts:

  • ¾ cup pine nuts
  • ¾ cup slivered almonds
  • 3 tbsp samneh baladi 

Bread Fatteh:

  • 1 shrak bread
  • 1½ cups Jameed 
  • ¼ cup pan-fried nuts

Assembly and Garnish:

  • 1 shrak bread
  • 2 onions, quartered
  • 8 green onions, trimmed

 

Instructions

  1. Soak the Jameed balls overnight in 10 cups of water to soften.
  2. Place the lamb in a large pot. Add the cinnamon, cardamom and bay leaves and onion. Add enough water to cover the lamb by 3 to 4 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam. Cook the lamb for 15 minutes, and then cover the pan and reduce the heat to medium-high. Cook until you can easily pierce the lamb with a fork, about 1.5 hours. Reserve the stock for making soup for another time. Set the lamb aside and keep warm.
  3. To the bowl of a food processor and working in batches, add the softened jameed and liquify until silky-smooth. 
  4. In a large pot over low heat, combine the jameed and goat yogurt (or Shanineh, if using). Whisk until combined, and cook on low heat until warm, about 15 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-low and add the cooked lamb with 2 tbsp of the samneh baladi. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 25 more minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, heat the samneh baladi. Stir in the rice, salt, and turmeric. Cook until the rice is well coated, 2 to 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Pour in the boiling water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Rinse the freekeh under running water for 30 seconds. Drain.
  7. In a large pot over medium heat, heat samneh baladi. Stir in the freekeh, salt, cinnamon and turmeric. Cook until the freekeh is well coated and sizzling, 5 minutes. Increase the heat to high. Pour in the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot with the lid, and simmer for 20 minutes. Check doneness, adding ½ cup of water more, if necessary, until tender.
  8. Slice the onion into quarters, place in cold water and top with ice cubes.
  9. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat the samneh baladi. Add the pine nuts, and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with the almonds.
  10. To make fatteh, tear the shrak bread into small pieces and place in a bowl, top with liquid jameed and allow to soak for a few minutes. Top with some sautéed nuts.
  11. To assemble, place the shrak breads on a large 22- to 24-inch round serving platter. Add the rice mixture to the middle, breaking up any clumps with a large spoon. Spread the rice mixture to the edges, forming a slight peak in the centre.
  12. Using a wire skimmer, transfer the lamb to the centre of the rice mixture, arranging in a single layer. Sprinkle with the prepared pine nuts and almonds.
  13. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the jameed mixture into a serving bowl.
  14. Serve with the onions and fatteh.