This weekend was one of steady rain, even a hail storm in the mountain; nevertheless, 35,000 people braved the elements to take part in the annual Beirut Marathon. I was safely tucked away at home in Deir el-Qamar, glancing occasionally at the rain outside and the thick blanket of fog that had engulfed the house.
This traditional stew (yakhneh) is for this type of weather.
INGREDIENTS: 6 servings
- 1 lb stew meat (or 3 lamb shanks, cut into 2 inch chunks)
- 1 lb potatoes
- 1 lb tomatoes (or a large can)
- 2 onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic (optional)
- 1/2 bunch of cilantro (optional)
- salt, pepper, dash of allspice, dash of cinnamon
- chopped parsley to garnish
- 1/4 cup of oil
METHOD:
- Sprinkle the meat with spices; heat the oil and brown the meat for 10 minutes on all sides. Pour 6 cups of tap water on the meat, cover and bring to a simmer; uncover the pot and skim the froth every time it appears. Cover the pot and let the meat simmer for 1 hour over very gentle heat, making sure a few bubbles appear every now and then.
- Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and set aside. Peel and dice the potatoes and place in a bowl with water. Pound the garlic in a mortar with a dash of salt and set aside. Chop the cilantro leaves and set aside.
- Add the potatoes and tomatoes to the stew after one hour. Let the stew simmer for 30 minutes longer; meanwhile, prepare the cilantro pesto (if desired) by heating 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small skillet and frying the chopped cilantro and mashed garlic for 5 seconds until fragrant; add the cilantro pesto to the stew the last 10 minutes of cooking. Serve the stew as is with some rice or bread.
NOTE: You can make the stew without adding the cilantro pesto. The stew is usually made by frying the potato chunks prior to adding them to the meat mixture; this does make them tastier but it also makes it heavier (and more calorific).
16 Comments
A scrumptious dish! So comforting.
I love your clay pot.
Cheers,
Rosa
Looks super tasty – ideal for the autumn time.
This stew is so perfect for the chilly autumn evenings and the kind of dish I can enjoy without tiring of it. I bet this is better when reheated the next day.
@Rosa, thanks!
@Jean: you are so right; you can keep on reheating it!
@Magdalena: yeah, cold and chilly outside spells stew inside brewing on the stove!
Oh wow that looks perfect and I would do about anything for a big bowl.. YUMM!
This stew looks so delicious- I love stews in fall and winter! I love the addition of cilantro.
The stew looks so comforting. You know that I’m a pescetarian, but I have to admit that my mouth watered upon seeing this beautifully composed stew. Love your photo too!
I’d rather be indoors eating a comforting bowl of stew than running a marathon in the rain! This looks hearty and delicious.
SO yummy looking – straightforward recipe, too. Cannot wait to try! Love your new additions – new photo and lists and links and such. WOuld still love to get your posts by mail… you are amazing!
V
Ricetta splendida e bellissima foto!!!
Perfect for the cold night we have been having. This sounds very yummy. Have a good week Diane
we’ve been having rainy, dreary weather where I live too! This looks so comforting and delicious!
Great stew warming and hearty. Also it looks like I can do this in my slow cooker.
Did you know that BATATA are potatoes in our language too?
I love this stew – simple, straight forward and absolutely my kind of food 
What lovely presentation and photography too.
chow
Devaki @ weavethousandflavors
@Devaki: I had no idea, obviously! and want to know more, and why!
How was the marathon? Rainy days warrant yummy comfort dishes like this!