Jordanian Mansaf (المنسف الأردني) — Lamb, Jameed Yogurt, Rice, and Shrak Bread

• 250 gdried jameed (use Karaki-style jameed if available)
• 900 mlwarm water
• 250 gplain full-fat yogurt (stabilizes the sauce and softens the saltiness)
• 1egg (helps prevent the yogurt sauce from splitting)
• 2 tspcornstarch
• 1.6 kgbone-in lamb shoulder (cut into 6 large serving pieces)
• 2.5 lwater
• 1yellow onion (peeled and halved)
• 2 leafbay leaves
• 6 podgreen cardamom (lightly crushed)
• 1 stickcinnamon
• 1 tspwhole black peppercorns
• 1 tspground allspice
• 0.5 tspground turmeric
• 1.5 tspfine sea salt (use less if the jameed is very salty)
• 500 glong-grain rice (rinsed until the water runs nearly clear)
• 850 mllamb broth (strained from cooking the lamb)
• 3 tbspghee
• 2shrak flatbread (or very thin markook bread)
• 80 gblanched almonds
• 40 gpine nuts
• 8 sprigflat-leaf parsley (leaves chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Break the dried jameed into small chunks and place it in a bowl with 900 ml warm water. Soak it for 8 hours, or overnight if the pieces are very hard, turning the pieces once so they soften evenly.

2. 2

   Blend the soaked jameed and its soaking water until completely smooth, then pass it through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Whisk in the plain yogurt, egg, and cornstarch until no streaks remain, but do not heat it yet.

3. 3

   Place the lamb in a large heavy pot with 2.5 l water and bring it to a steady boil over medium-high heat. Skim the gray foam carefully for 8 to 10 minutes, because a clean broth gives the mansaf sauce a better flavor and color.

4. 4

   Add the halved onion, bay leaves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, peppercorns, allspice, turmeric, and salt to the pot. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook for about 90 minutes until the lamb is tender but still holds its shape.

5. 5

   Lift the lamb pieces onto a tray and strain the broth through a fine sieve. Measure 850 ml of broth for the rice and reserve about 600 ml for loosening the jameed sauce, keeping both portions hot.

6. 6

   Cook the jameed mixture over medium-low heat, whisking constantly in one direction until it begins to steam and thicken slightly. Add 400 ml hot lamb broth gradually, then simmer gently for 10 minutes without letting the sauce boil hard.

7. 7

   Return the cooked lamb pieces to the jameed sauce and spoon the sauce over them. Simmer uncovered for 20 minutes on low heat, adding up to 200 ml more hot broth if the sauce becomes thicker than heavy cream.

8. 8

   For the rice, melt 3 tbsp ghee in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and stir in the rinsed rice for 2 minutes. Add 850 ml hot lamb broth, turmeric, and salt, bring to a boil, then cover tightly and cook on low heat for 18 minutes.

9. 9

   Turn off the heat under the rice and let it rest, covered, for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork. This resting time keeps the grains separate and prevents the bottom layer from becoming wet when the mansaf is assembled.

10. 10

    Melt 2 tbsp ghee in a small skillet and fry the almonds over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until golden. Add the pine nuts for the final 45 to 60 seconds only, then remove the nuts immediately so they do not darken.

11. 11

    Tear the shrak bread into large pieces and spread them over a wide serving platter. Moisten the bread with 250 ml hot jameed sauce so it softens but still supports the rice.

12. 12

    Mound the rice over the sauced bread, arrange the lamb pieces on top, and spoon more jameed sauce generously over the meat. Scatter the fried almonds, pine nuts, and parsley over the platter, and serve the remaining hot jameed sauce in a separate bowl.