Parcha bozbash - lamb soup w/ chestnuts~ quin
4 Servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | pounds | Boneless lean lamb cut in 1\" cubes |
| Salt to taste | ||
| Freshly ground black pepper to taste | ||
| 3 | tablespoons | Butter |
| 1 | medium | Onion, finely chopped |
| 4 | cups | Beef broth |
| 1 | medium | Potato, peeled and cubed |
| 1 | small | Quince peeled, cored, and cubed |
| ½ | cup | Dried pitted prunes OR |
| 1 | cup | Fresh sour prunes |
| ¼ | pounds | Chestnuts, shelled & peeled |
| ⅔ | cup | Canned chick-peas * drained & rinsed |
| 2 | tablespoons | Clarified butter |
Directions
Season the lamb with salt and pepper. In a heavy pot, melt the 3 tb.
butter over moderate heat. Add the lamb and onion, saute until browned, stirring frequently. Add the broth. Add salt as needed, cover, and simmer for ½ hour. Add the potato, quince, prunes, and chestnuts. Cover and simmer for ½ hour. Add the chick-peas and simmer, covered, 20 minutes. Stir in the clarified butter and allow to melt before serving the soup. Note: ¼ tsp. ginger or a pinch of powdered saffron dissolved in 2 tb. warm water may be added with the chick-peas, and the soup served sprinkled with 1 ts. crushed dried mint, accompanied by chopped onion and sumakh on the side. In the Caucasus, ground kyurdyuk is normally used instead of the clarified butter, and dried chick-peas* rather than canned ones. The dried chick-peas are soaked for 4-6 hours, drained, & added at the beginning with the broth. Note: Sumakh aka sumac, a spice mixture is to be found in the USA at Mid-Eastern markets.