Spiced Lamb à la Garden and Grove

By Anthony Chiffolo • January 30, 2011 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This delicious recipe is a recreation of what Governor Nehemiah might have served his royal guests, and one can see why: an elegant lamb dish; it has all the best of garden and grove. From our book "Cooking with the Bible: Recipes for Biblical Meals." - Anthony Chiffolo

Serves 8-10

4 onions, diced
6 large green peppers, quartered
6 tablespoons butter
2 pounds lamb, ground
1/4 cup fresh lemon thyme leaves
1 1/2 pound tomatoes, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
2 chicken bouillon cubes
4 limes, halved
4 teaspoons cardamom
4 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon zaatar
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup seedless raisins
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1 pinch dried lemon thyme

In a large skillet, saute´ the onions and peppers in butter over medium heat until brown, taking care not to let them burn. Add the lamb, lemon thyme, tomatoes, garlic, salt, and 1 cup water in which the bouillon cubes have been dissolved. Simmer over a low-to-medium heat until the lamb is tender (about 1–1½ hours). Add the limes, cardamom, cinnamon, and zaatar and bring to a boil.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Remove from stovetop and stir in the rice, raisins, and slivered almonds. Pour into an ovenproof casserole dish and cook for 30 minutes or so until heated thoroughly. Sprinkle a small amount of dried lemon thyme over meat just prior to serving.