Sheep ragout with chickpeas on saffron rice

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 1 kg mutton (boneless mutton loin), diced into bite-sized pieces
• 300 g onion(s), diced
• 50 g garlic, chopped
• 1 liter lamb stock or sheep stock
• 3 tbsp, heaped paprika paste
• 1 small can of chickpeas, drained
• 1 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 5 allspice berries, freshly ground
• 4 cardamom pods
• Salt
• Oil or clarified butter for frying
• 4 cups basmati rice
• 8 cup(s) vegetable broth, well salted
• 100 g currants
• 50 g dried barberries
• 1 pomegranate, seeds and juice
• 100 g pine nuts
• 150 g clarified butter
• 1 ½ g saffron powder or crushed threads

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 10 minutes

Heat the frying fat in a casserole dish and fry the lamb’s back cubes. Add the onions and garlic and brown slightly, stirring constantly. Deglaze with the stock and stir in the paprika. Add the cinnamon, allspice, and cardamom, cover, and simmer the ragout over low heat for about 60 minutes. Then add the chickpeas and continue simmering until the rice is ready. Rinse the rice under cold water, if necessary, until the water runs almost clear. Dissolve the saffron in a little lukewarm broth. Bring the rice, broth, saffron, pomegranate juice, raisins, and barberries to a boil in a saucepan, stir well, and simmer over very low heat until the rice is completely absorbed (alternatively, use a rice cooker). Heat the clarified butter until very hot and toast the pine nuts until golden brown. Pour over the cooked rice, add the pomegranate seeds, and mix well to loosen the mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamom pods from the ragout, season with salt, and serve over the rice.