Iraqi Quzi (قوزي) — Spiced Lamb Over Timman Rice

• 1.8 kgbone-in lamb shoulder (cut into 6 large pieces)
• 2large yellow onions (1 finely chopped, 1 quartered)
• 4 clovegarlic (crushed)
• 45 gghee (divided)
• 1 tbspneutral oil
• 18 gfine sea salt (divided)
• 1.5 tspground black pepper
• 2 tspground allspice
• 1 tspground turmeric
• 1 tspground cumin
• 0.5 tspground cinnamon
• 6 podgreen cardamom (lightly cracked)
• 1 stickcinnamon
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 2noomi basra dried black limes (pierced twice with a skewer)
• 1.5 lwater
• 20 strandsaffron
• 2 tbsphot water (for blooming saffron)
• 450 gaged basmati rice or Iraqi amber timman
• 750 mlreserved lamb cooking broth (strained from the braise)
• 250 mlhot water for adjusting broth (use only to bring strained broth to 750 ml total)
• 150 gfrozen green peas
• 70 ggolden raisins
• 60 gslivered almonds
• 30 gpine nuts
• 0.5 bunchflat-leaf parsley (finely chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Rinse the timman rice in several changes of cool water until the water runs mostly clear, then soak it in a bowl of cool water for 30 minutes. Crumble the saffron strands between your fingers into 2 tablespoons of hot water and leave them to bloom while the lamb begins cooking.

2. 2

   Pat the lamb pieces dry and season them with 12 g of the salt, the black pepper, allspice, turmeric, cumin, and ground cinnamon. Heat 30 g of the ghee with the neutral oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, then brown the lamb in batches for 4 minutes per side until the surfaces are deeply colored.

3. 3

   Lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onion to the same pot, stirring for 6 minutes until golden at the edges. Add the garlic, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, pierced noomi basra, and quartered onion, then stir for 1 minute so the spices bloom in the fat.

4. 4

   Return the lamb to the pot and pour in 1.5 l of water, scraping the browned bits from the base of the pot. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover, and cook gently for 105 to 120 minutes until the lamb is tender but still holds its shape.

5. 5

   Heat the oven to 220 C and transfer the lamb pieces to a roasting tray, reserving the broth in the pot. Roast the lamb for 15 to 20 minutes, basting once with 60 ml of the broth, until the edges are browned and slightly crisp like a proper Iraqi quzi centerpiece.

6. 6

   Strain the lamb broth through a fine sieve and measure 750 ml for the rice, adding the measured hot water only if the broth is short. Drain the soaked rice, put it in a clean pot with the measured broth, the remaining 6 g salt, peas, and bloomed saffron, then bring it to a firm simmer.

7. 7

   Cover the rice pot tightly, reduce the heat to low, and steam for 18 minutes without lifting the lid. Turn off the heat and let the pot stand covered for 10 minutes so the grains finish absorbing the broth and remain separate.

8. 8

   Melt the remaining 15 g ghee in a small skillet over medium heat and toast the almonds and pine nuts for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden. Add the raisins and cook for 45 seconds, just until they swell and shine, then remove the skillet from the heat.

9. 9

   Fluff the timman gently with a fork and spread it across a large serving platter. Set the roasted lamb on top, spoon over the nut-raisin topping, scatter with parsley, and serve immediately with amba and salad on the side.