Egyptian Lamb Fattah

Ingredients

• 1.2kg lamb shoulder on the bone, in large pieces
• 1 onion
• 4 green cardamom pods
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 3 tsp fine salt
• 1.8 litres water
• 400g Egyptian or short-grain rice
• 60g vermicelli
• 70g ghee
• 3 rounds baladi bread or 4 pitta breads
• 200ml sunflower oil, for frying the bread
• 9 garlic cloves
• 400g passata
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 4 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper

Before you cook

• Rinse the rice in several changes of cold water, then cover it with warm water and leave it to soak for 20 minutes
• Peel and quarter the onion
• Peel and crush all 9 garlic cloves
• Tear the bread into rough 4cm pieces

Steps

1. Put the lamb, onion, cardamom, bay leaves, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns into a large pot.
2. Pour over the water and bring it to the boil.
3. Skim the foam carefully from the surface.
4. Add 2 teaspoons of the salt, cover the pot, and simmer the lamb for 90 minutes until it is falling from the bone.
5. Lift the lamb onto a plate and strain the broth into a jug, keeping it hot.
6. Pull the meat from the bones in large chunks and set it aside.
7. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan and fry the torn bread in batches for 2 minutes a batch until deep golden and crisp.
8. Drain the fried bread on kitchen paper and spread it over the base of a wide serving dish.
9. Drain the soaked rice thoroughly.
10. Melt 50g of the ghee in a saucepan and fry the vermicelli for 3 minutes until it is a rich chestnut brown.
11. Add the drained rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains turn chalky.
12. Pour in 700ml of the hot broth, add the remaining salt, and bring it to the boil.
13. Cover the rice, turn the heat to its lowest, and cook for 18 minutes.
14. Take the rice off the heat and leave it covered and undisturbed for 10 minutes.
15. Ladle 250ml of hot broth evenly over the fried bread so it softens without turning to mush.
16. Warm 2 tablespoons of the remaining ghee in a saucepan and fry two thirds of the crushed garlic for 30 seconds.
17. Pour in the vinegar and let it bubble and reduce by half.
18. Add the passata, tomato paste, cumin and cayenne and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes until it thickens.
19. Melt the last of the ghee in a frying pan and fry the remaining garlic for 20 seconds.
20. Add the chunks of lamb and fry them hard for 4 minutes until the edges are crisp and browned.
21. Fluff the rice with a fork and spread it in an even layer over the soaked bread.
22. Spoon the tomato sauce across the rice.
23. Pile the fried lamb on top and serve immediately, digging down through all the layers.