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Ankara tavası
Braised lamb on orzo pilaf
Ankara tavası: lamb braised tender, then baked over orzo-rice pilaf
TurkishAnkara's signature dish is a tava, a baking pan, in which tender braised lamb is laid over a pilaf of rice and orzo and finished in the oven so the top grains go crisp and the meat juices soak right through. Old Ankara families serve it for guests and at festival lunches, with a bowl of cacık and pickles. Common mistake: using fully cooked pilaf, which dries out and turns hard in the oven; cook the rice only halfway. Chef's tip: save every spoon of the lamb's braising liquid; it's what flavours and finishes cooking the rice underneath.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the lamb
- 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bonecut into large pieces
- 1 onionhalved
- 2 tsp saltsplit between lamb and pilaf
- 6 ¼ cups water
For the pilaf
- 1 ¾ oz butter
- 2 ⅛ oz orzo (arpa şehriye)
- 10 ½ oz long-grain ricesoaked 20 minutes, drained
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tomato (optional)sliced
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb lamb shoulder or neck on the bone, 1 onion, 2 bay leaves and half of 1 tsp salt in a pot with 6 ¼ cups water. Bring to the boil, skim off the foam, then simmer, covered, for 1½ hours, until the meat is very tender.
90 minStep 2: Lift out the lamb, pull it from the bones into large chunks and strain the broth. You need 700 ml.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Melt 1 ¾ oz butter in a pan and fry 2 ⅛ oz orzo (arpa şehriye) over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until golden.
3 minStep 4: Add 10 ½ oz long-grain rice and stir 2 minutes. Pour in 500 ml of the hot broth, the rest of 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper and simmer covered for 7–8 minutes, until the liquid is mostly absorbed but the rice is still firm.
10 minStep 5: Spread the pilaf in a 30 × 20 cm baking dish, lay the lamb on top with 1 tomato slices and pour over the remaining 200 ml broth.
Step 6: Bake uncovered for 20–25 minutes, until the rice is tender, the liquid absorbed and the edges and meat lightly crisp.
25 minStep 7: Rest 5 minutes and serve straight from the dish.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 49 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does ankara tavası take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
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