So, to say the last couple of years have been a whirlwind for our family…would be an understatement. I, or rather we, the hubs and I are partially responsible. The oldest 3Jamigos is just 17 months senior to the twins, who are separated by a mere 20 minutes in age. Jamie owns bragging rights for being able to say to Jordan, “Respect your elders!”
In a span of a year and a half, all three tied the knot. Jamie and Sam got the ball rolling in dreamy Napa, followed by Jeffrey and Mac’s celebration overlooking San Diego’s beautiful skyline. Last, but not least, Jorge and Selin exchanged vows in Istanbul, in a fairytale setting above the Bosphorus.
The wedding was at the Adile Sultana Palace, a beautiful venue with breathtaking views of Istanbul.
Finally, the food at their reception was delicious! The entree was a traditional Turkish dish, Hünkar Beğendi. A braised lamb shank over a bed of velvety, smoky roasted eggplant puree. So delicious. Lucky for me, Jordan’s mother-in-law has taught him how to make it. Which means I now have the recipe! Yay!
The dish dates back to the Ottoman Empire, and as legend would have it, was made for the Sultan, who loved it, hence the name Sultan’s Delight, or Hünkar Beğendi. Armed with Dilek’s (Jordan’s MIL) recipe and instructions, and tips from Selin and Jordan…we hosted dinner with friends, and my first attempt at Sultan’s Delight was a success!
Turkish Lamb Stew with Eggplant Sauce, Hünkar beğendi
Ingredients
For the lamb stew:
- 1 ½ lb leg of lamb diced in roughly bite-sized pieces trimmed, boneless weight
- ¼ teaspoon salt approx
- ¼ teaspoon pepper approx
- 1 onion large or 2 medium
- ½ green pepper or 1 whole if small
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped tomatoes recommend fresh tomatoes, or if using canned, use crushed or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 TBSP fresh, leaves only
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 1 TBSP fresh, leaves only
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup light stock eg chicken/vegetable or use water
For eggplant-bechamel sauce:
- 3 lb eggplant aubergine approx 3 med-large
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoon flour
- 1 ¼ cups milk approx ideally warmed
- 1 ½ oz grated parmesan or cheddar or a blend of both
Instructions
Lamb Stew
- Season the pieces of lamb with salt and pepper. Dice the onion relatively finely and dice the pepper. Finely chop the garlic.
- Warm the oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for around 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the lamb and brown on all sides. then add the green pepper and garlic. Stir and cook a couple more minutes.
- Add the tomatoes, thyme, oregano and tomato paste to the pot. Stir through to mix and cook a minute then add the stock/water. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover with a lid then reduce the heat so that the sauce is gently simmering.
- Simmer stew for approximately 1 hour until the lamb is tender. At the 30 minute mark, if there is still quite a bit of liquid, leave the lid only half-on to help reduce and thicken the sauce a little.
Eggplant
- Meanwhile, cook the eggplant. If possible, cook the eggplant on a grill/BBQ or sitting over a gas burner (you may want to cover around the burner with foil to catch any drips. Alternatively, preheat the oven to 430F/220C, prick the eggplant all over with a knife and place it on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
- Roast for around 40 minutes. In all cases, you are looking for the inside of the eggplant to become very soft and if over grill/flame the skin should be well charred. Once cooked, leave the eggplant to cool down so that it is safe to handle when opened up.
- Remove eggplant skin and place eggplant in a colander and allow to drain for 15-30 minutes to remove excess liquid. Then, either roughly chop and mash the flesh for a coarser texture, or blend up for a smoother paste. If you want a really smooth puree, you can press the mixture through a fine strainer to remove the seeds.
Bechamel Sauce
- Melt the butter in a medium-small saucepan over a medium heat then once melted, add the flour. Stir as it cooks a couple minutes and becomes gently nutty smelling.
- Gradually add the milk and stir or whisk in after each addition to make a smooth paste. Cook a minute or two more, as needed, to thicken slightly.
- Remove from the heat then add the cheese and stir through so that it mixes in and melts. Add the eggplant puree and stir to mix through evenly. Season with a little salt and pepper to taste.
To Serve
- Spread some of the eggplant sauce over the bottom of individual plates or all of it on the bottom of a serving platter. In both cases, spread it out with a slight shallow area in the middle to hold the stew. Add the lamb stew in the middle of the eggplant sauce and serve with bread on the side.
Notes
I use Dilek’s recipe below for the eggplant gratin
Dilek's Beğendi: Roasted Eggplant Gratin Recipe
Ingredients
Eggplant:
- 1 jar Sera brand roasted eggplant* 23 ounces
- 2-3 fresh globe eggplants Instead of jarred eggplant, see notes
Bechamel Sauce
- 1/2 stick butter, unsalted or salted 4 ounces
- 2–3 tbsp (heaping tablespoons) all purpose flour
- 2 cups whole milk
- 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese Substitute cheddar or Gruyere for Mozzarella. I do a blend of 1:1 Mozzarella:Gruyere.
- 1-2 tbsp Parmesan or Pecorino Romano, grated Optional. I throw 1 T in the eggplant mixture with the other cheeses and the 2nd T is sprinkled on top.
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until the flour turns lightly golden.
- Gradually add the milk while whisking continuously to prevent lumps.
- Cook until the sauce thickens to a creamy béchamel consistency — it should not be too runny.
- Stir in the roasted eggplant and about 1/3 cup of the mozzarella cheese.
- Transfer the mixture to an oven-safe baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella cheese on top and bake at 350°F until the top is golden and bubbly.