You will need: 1 lamb shoulder, bay leaves, cardamom pods, peppercorns, all spice, cloves, salt, Mesteka (mastic), olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, white rice, ghee, 6 pita bread loaves, 1 large onion, 1 medium tomato, 1 medium carrot, few pieces of celery, garlic, white vinegar, bouillon cube(optional),
Instructions:
- Take six whole wheat pita bread loaves, and cut them in medium sized squares
- Season the pita bread pieces with onion powder and some garlic powder
- Drizzle on some olive oil and toss by hand to ensure the all bread pieces are coded with seasonings and oil
- Toast bread until it gets crispy and light golden in color
- To make the lamb stock I used:
- 1 lamb shoulder cut in medium size pieces
- 1 large onion, 1 medium tomato, 1 medium carrot and a couple pieces of celery
- transfer the meat to a deep stock pot and add the cut up veggies
- Add 2 Bay leaves, 8 cardamom pods, 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, 1/2 teaspoon whole allspice, 1 whole clove
- Fill 2/3 of the pot with room temperature water
- In a separate bowl place 2 teaspoons of salt and Mesteka (mastic)
- When the soup starts to boil, add salt and Mesteka
- Cover and lower heat to medium and simmer until the meat is cooked
- When the meat is almost cooked, prepare the white rice
- In a medium pot, heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of ghee
- Add 1 1/2 cup short grain rice to the hot ghee
- Mix well to ensure that all the rice is coded with ghee
- Add salt to taste
- Proceed with cooking the rice as usual but substitute the amount of water needed to cook the rice with hot lamb stock
- Give it a mix
- Bring to a boil, cover and lower heat
- The rice should be ready and cooked in about 10 to 15 minutes
- While the rice is cooking, prepare the pita chips dressing:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee
- Add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic
- Cook garlic until fragrant
- Add 3 tablespoons of white vinegar
- Add one bouillon cube (optional)
- Add 5 to 6 ladles of hot lamb stock
- Bring the dressing to a boil and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste
- Add the hot dressing to the pita chips
- Cover and set the side until the rice is cooked
- Time to assemble the Fattah
- First spread a layer of rice on the bottom and sides of the pan
- Fill the cavity with dressed pita bread
- Then add a layer of rice on top and press down with the back of the spoon
- Flip the Fattah on a serving platter
- Arrange the meat and add some pita chips around and on top of the Fattah. I sautéed the cooked meat and ghee and drizzled some tomato sauce on top, and garnished it with toasted almonds and pomegranate seeds.
- Enjoy!
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rubyskitchen.blog 