Mish Shqeto
Region: Balkans
Category: Lamb
Season: Any
Difficulty: Easy but long cooking time
It seems everyone has conquered Albania, the most underdeveloped country of Europe. The Ottoman Turks ruled Albania from 1501 to 1912. Turkish influence is evident not only in the cuisine but in the fact that sixty percent of the population is Muslim. Albania is a mountainous country where the ancient hill tribes have never really been conquered and where a fertile coastal strip has seen Macedonian, Roman, Byzantine, Turkish, and even Nazi armies rule. Both Albania’s geography and its history has determined its cuisine. This delightful parsley-crazed recipe is adapted from the one found in Maria Kaneva-Johnson’s The Melting Pot: Balkan Food and Cookery published in 1995. In Albanian it is called mish shqeto which means “meat cooked without vegetables.” The dish is eaten with a spoon and bread only. But I must insist on the bread, because otherwise some diners may find the stew bland even though it has so much parsley. Use a combination of French-style bread and pita bread, both warmed in the oven. Eat pieces of the lamb with the bread used as a utensil.
Yield: Makes 4 to 6 servings
Preparation Time: 2:30 hours
1/4 cup clarified butter
3 pounds lamb shoulder on the bone, trimmed of any large portions of fat and cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
1 cup water
Salt to taste
4 bunches fresh parsley, thick stems removed, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. In a casserole, melt or heat the clarified butter over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb on all sides, about 10 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil slowly. Season with salt. Cover, reduce the heat to low, using a heat diffuser if necessary, and cook until the lamb is tender, about 2 hours.
2. Stir in the parsley and simmer until wilted but still bright green, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with black pepper and serve immediately.
Variation:
Note:
REMINDER: The dish is eaten with a spoon and bread
only. But I must insist on the bread,
because otherwise some diners may find the stew bland even though it has so
much parsley. Use a combination of
French-style bread and pita bread, both warmed in the oven. Eat pieces of the lamb with the bread used as
a utensil.
Posted: 12/12/2009
