Lamb with Celery in White Sauce
Moroccan-style braised lamb shoulder with blanched celery, chickpeas, and a silky egg-lemon liaison. Aromatic with cinnamon and parsley, finished with a bright citrus finish and integrated into the sauce just before serving.
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ lb kg de viande de mouton
- 1 ,5g de céleri en branche
- 1 oignon vert
- 1 c à soupe de smenghee1dairyfatadds dairy
similar clarified butter, though smen has distinctive aged tang
- 1 c à café de sel bonne pincée de cannelle
- 1 bonne pincée de poivre noir,
- 1 petit bouquet de persil
- 1 oeuf
- 1 citron
- 1 bonne poignée de pois chiche trempés la veille
Instructions
- 1
Clean celery branches, remove fibers, wash, and cut into 2" slices.
- 2
Blanch celery in boiling water for 20 minutes, then drain and set aside.
- 3
Cut lamb into pieces and grate onion over it. Season with smen, salt, pepper, and cinnamon.
- 4
Cook meat covered for 10 minutes, then cover with water.
- 5
Add soaked chickpeas and continue cooking.
- 6
Midway through cooking, add blanched celery and simmer until meat is tender. Reduce sauce.
- 7
Finely chop parsley. Break egg into a bowl with lemon juice and 4 tablespoons of cooking sauce. Mix well.
- 8
Pour egg-lemon mixture over the meat and vegetables.
- 9
Stir the pot thoroughly to distribute sauce evenly, then turn off heat immediately.
Tips
Smen (aged clarified butter) is essential to authentic flavor; cannot be easily substituted.
Blanching celery before adding removes bitterness and ensures proper texture.
Add egg-lemon liaison at the very end and off heat to prevent curdling.
Stir immediately after adding liaison to coat all ingredients evenly.
Good to Know
Refrigerate up to 3 days in airtight container. Do not freeze after egg-lemon liaison added.
Prepare meat, vegetables, and soak chickpeas day before. Blanch celery up to 4 hours ahead. Make liaison just before serving.
Serve immediately in wide shallow bowls with crusty bread or couscous to absorb sauce.
Common Mistakes
Do not add egg-lemon mixture while heat is on to avoid scrambling.
Do not skip blanching celery to avoid overpowering bitterness in final dish.
Do not stir vigorously at end to avoid breaking apart meat.