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Beshbarmak
Beshbarmak (Бешбармақ): boiled lamb on hand-cut noodle sheets
Beshbarmak, "five fingers", is the dish a Kazakh family puts on the dastarkhan for guests, weddings and Nauryz, traditionally eaten with the hand. Lamb (or horse meat in many homes) is simmered for hours, sliced and laid over wide squares of fresh noodle dough cooked in the same broth, then topped with soft onions in a peppery sauce. The broth, called sorpa, is drunk from bowls alongside. Cutting the noodles too thick is a common slip; they should be thin enough to be silky, not chewy. Chef's tip: keep a cup of the hot fat skimmed from the broth to cook the onion sauce; it carries all the lamb flavour.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the meat and broth
For the noodles
For the onion sauce
Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Put 4 lb lamb shoulder and neck on the bone in a large pot with 14 ½ cups water and bring slowly to the boil, skimming off the foam until the surface is clear.
20 minStep 2: Add 1 onion, 3 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns, then simmer very gently, partly covered, for 2 hours 30 minutes, until the meat comes away from the bone easily. Add 2 tsp salt in the last 30 minutes.
150 minStep 3: While the meat cooks, mix 14 oz plain flour and ½ tsp salt, add 2 eggs and ½ cup water and knead to a firm smooth dough. Rest it, covered, for 30 minutes.
10 minStep 4: Roll the dough out very thin, about 1 mm, and cut it into 8–10 cm squares or diamonds. Lay them on a floured cloth to dry slightly while the meat finishes.
20 minStep 5: Lift out the meat and keep it warm, covered. Skim about 150 ml of fat and broth from the top into a frying pan. Strain the rest of the broth.
Step 6: Bring the fat and broth in the frying pan to a simmer, add 3 onions and 1 tsp black pepper and cook for 5 minutes until the onions are soft but still hold their shape.
5 minStep 7: Bring 2 litres of the strained broth to the boil and cook the noodle squares in batches for 3–4 minutes each, until tender. Lift out with a slotted spoon onto a large warm platter.
12 minStep 8: Slice the lamb off the bones into thin pieces and lay over the noodles. Spoon the onion sauce over the top and scatter with ⅓ oz fresh dill or parsley. Serve the remaining broth in bowls on the side. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 690 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 54 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does beshbarmak take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 170 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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