This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how different countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
With only about 13% of the population of the United Arab Emirates being Christian, Christmas is not that widely celebrated. However, in that the UAE is a tourism Mecca, it is quite common to see traditional holiday decorations in hotels, homes, and shopping centers to appeal to travelers and other expats who now live in large cities, like Dubai. In my research, I came across a few dishes I could have made, but decided to go with Margoogat, or as I affectionately referred to it at the end of the meal: “Arab Pot Roast”! But, this meal hits all of the holiday notes including cinnamon, among a myriad of other regional spices, braised lamb, a lovely sauce, and it's even a bit reminiscent of traditional Christmas colors with the red diced tomatoes and green cilantro leaves.
Margoogat
This dish is typically served with flatbread made from buckwheat flour. I opted for another Arabic flatbread, Lavash. Also, this dish is made with fermented black lemon. I could only get my hands on Shan brand spicy lemon pickle. It turned out great. If you can only get the sweeter Moroccan-style preserved lemons, you’ll need to up the heat in your spice mix a bit.
Pre-Braise
4 lamb shanks
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Ground cinnamon
Curry powder
Frying oil
4 garlic cloves peeled and smashed
6 oz. lemon pickle
Half of a large red onion, papery skin removed
2 large bay leaves (fresh preferably)
12 cups water
Stew
Olive oil
Half of large red onion, petite diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
28 oz. canned, diced tomato, drained
¼ tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp chili powder
2 tsp hot madras curry powder
2 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp cumin
3 large carrots, peeled and rough chopped
2 large golden potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Large handful of cilantro
6 cups of water
Lavash (or other flatbread)
Prepare the lamb by unpackaging and drying the meat with paper towels. Preheat 2 tbsp of oil, in a large dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Season the meat liberally with the kosher salt and pepper. Season the meat with some cinnamon and curry powder. Brown the lamb on both sides, about 5 minutes each.
Toss in the smashed garlic cloves and lemon preserves, trying to ensure it all lands on the bottom of the pot, and heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then, add in the water, the half-onion and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 90 minutes. After 45 minutes, flip the meat over, increase the heat to medium and cook the remaining 45 minutes with the pot uncovered.
Remove the meat and set aside. Discard the pot contents and briefly rinse it out, wipe clean with a paper towel, and return it to the stovetop.
Prepare the stew by heating 2 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Sauté the minced red onion, with a pinch of salt, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add in the diced tomatoes. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes release their juices and cook off.
Add in the spices, stirring continuously until fragrant, about a minute.
Add in the prepared carrots, potatoes, and most of the chopped cilantro (leaving some for final garnish) and stir to combine.
Pour in the water, along with a heavy pinch of salt and place the pre-cooked shanks back into the pot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to medium. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place the lavash on a baking sheet and lightly toast in the oven at 350 degrees. Once the bread has cooled, break it up into medium-large sized pieces.
To serve, just cover the bottom of a serving bowl with some pot juices. Place a few pieces of the lavash into the bottom of the bowl and ladle in the stew. Place a shank into the bowl and spoon over more pot juices. Garnish with a larger piece of lavash and sprinkle on some minced cilantro.
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Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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