Wednesday, September 4, 2013

455. Iraqi Lamb Fat Rice


This is an "oldies" recipe, meaning one that was made by our grandmothers and theirs. I actually picked it up from my brother-in-law, who has been teaching me a wealth of recipes.

Butter and refined vegetable oils are a relatively new commodity, and were not readily available to our grandparents and their grandparents before that. So they had to be practical and use what was available. In comes the lamb fat. Little pieces of lamb fat is rendered in a hot pot, and alot melts to a liquid, effectively becomming cooking liquid!
Now as you might imagine, the flavor is different from using regular oil, but in the most dense and delicious way! This lamb fat rice would be the perfect accompaniment to many a marga, especially bamia.
It does however have a tendency to sky-rocket cholesterol levels, so perhaps keeping it for occasional gatherings would be recommended.


Ingredients:

2 cups rice, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup (50g) lamb fat, cubed small
1 1/2 tsp salt


Method:

In a hot pot, render the lamb fat cubes over medium-high until melted and the solids have slightly taken a golden hue.
Add the rinsed and drained rice with the salt, and toss to coat the rice in the fat.
Add enough boiled water to just cover the rice by a finger's width, then immediately cover the pot and reduce heat to low.
Allow to simmer covered about 20 minutes until the grains are white and fluffy and all the water has been absorbed.
You can also leave it for an additional hour without stirring over low heat to allow a crispy crust to form.
Serve alongside a marga (stew) of choice (see index)


صحة و عافية



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