Roasted Rack Of Lamb W Turkish Spices Yogurt Sauce And Rice

Having stayed mostly in the Old City when I was in Istanbul, i.e. Tourist Central, I didn’t see much beyond a lot of doner kebab restaurants, which certainly have their place in greasy, meaty heaven, but only really scratch the surface. These recipes are sort of an amalgamation of the few things that I did see in Istanbul–from the use of sweet apricots as an ingredient in savory dishes, the yogurt, the rice pilafs and the pistachios, to the very interesting spice mixes I was able to try at the market. I can’t wait to go back to try everything else the city has to offer, but in the meantime, this Turkish lamb will just have to do!

Turkish Spiced Roasted Rack of Lamb w/ Apricots: Recipe Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a roasting pan, add the red onion and apricots. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 10 minutes, remove from the oven, and set aside.

Clean the lamb and pat dry. Season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sear the racks on both sides. Combine all the spices and herbs in a small bowl and rub the mixture onto the seared lamb.

Transfer to a roasting pan and roast in the oven uncovered for about 12 minutes for medium rare. Remove from the oven, cover with foil, and allow the meat to rest for another 10 minutes before serving.

Rice with Chickpeas, Raisins, and Crispy Onions

2 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 1 teaspoon curry powder 1 can chickpeas 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1 tablespoon flour ½ cup vegetable oil 2 cups cooked basmati rice 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro ½ cup raisins ½ cup roasted chopped pistachios (optional) salt and pepper

In a small saucepan over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the cumin and curry powder and fry for about 5 seconds.

Then add the chickpeas along with a bit of salt. Stir everything around to warm and crisp up the chickpeas, about 2 minutes. Set aside. Toss the sliced onion with the flour until it’s all lightly coated. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan. Test the oil temperature by tossing in a piece of onion. If it sizzles vigorously, it’s ready. Fry the onions in batches until crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel lined plate and sprinkle with salt. In a big bowl, toss together the cooked rice, parsley, cilantro, raisins, pistachios, chickpeas, crispy onions, and salt and pepper to taste.