Dograma

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in lamb shoulder or leg
• 2.5 litres cold water
• 1 onion, halved, for the broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 tsp salt
• 500 g chorek or other plain flatbread, a day old
• 3 onions, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt for the onions

Before you cook

• Buy or bake the flatbread a day ahead, since fresh bread turns to paste in the broth.
• Chop the three onions as finely as you can, then rub them with the half teaspoon of salt and the black pepper.
• Leave the salted onions to sit for 10 minutes so they lose their raw bite.

Steps

1. Put the lamb in a large pot, cover it with the cold water and bring it slowly towards a simmer.
2. Skim the foam off the surface until the broth is clear.
3. Add the halved onion, bay leaves, peppercorns and salt.
4. Simmer gently uncovered for 2 hours, until the meat pulls away from the bone.
5. Lift the lamb out onto a board and leave it until it is cool enough to handle.
6. Strain the broth into a clean pan and skim off most of the fat, keeping 2 tablespoons of it.
7. Tear the flatbread into pieces the size of a thumbnail, using only your hands.
8. Pull the lamb off the bone and chop it into small pieces.
9. Combine the torn bread, chopped lamb and salted onions in a large bowl.
10. Work the reserved 2 tablespoons of fat through the mixture with your fingers.
11. Divide the mixture between six deep bowls, filling each about two thirds full.
12. Bring the strained broth back to a hard boil.
13. Ladle the boiling broth over each bowl until the bread is just covered.
14. Serve the bowls immediately, before the bread loses its bite and turns to mush.