(al-Baghdadi)

• Cut fat meat small, put into the saucepan with a little salt, and cover with water.
• Boil and remove the scum.
• Cut up onions, wash, and throw in on top of the meat.
• Add seasonings, coriander, cumin, mastic, cinnamon, pepper and ginger, well ground.
• Take dry apricots, soak in hot water, then wash and put in a separate saucepan, and boil lightly: take out, wipe in the
• hands, and strain through a sieve.
• Take sweet almonds, grind fine, moisten with a little apricot juice and throw in. Some color with a trifle of saffron.
• Spray the saucepan with a little rose water, wipe its sides with a clean rag, and leave to settle over the fire: then remove.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. lamb — cubed
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• ½ tsp. salt
• 1 lg. onion — finely chopped
• ¼ tsp. ground ginger
• ½ lb dried apricots
• ½ tsp. ground coriander
• ½ tsp. ground cumin
• 1/3 c ground almonds
• ¼ tsp. saffron
• ¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. rosewater

Method:

• Brown the meat, cover with water.
• Add the onions and spices; stew until the meat is tender.
• Add apricots – either puree them or add them whole as I have.
• Stir in almonds and rosewater to thicken.

Notes:

I did not use mastic, as it was not available. For this feast I substituted beef for the lamb.