flipMadîra, Lamb Stew in Soured Milk
Madîra, Lamb Stew in Soured Milk
Why this dish? The madîra was THE dish at Baghdad's great tables, praised in assemblies of scholars; a scholar invited to a patron's or caliph's table tasted the opulence of the Abbasid capital.
Lamb pieces long-simmered, then bound in thickened fermented milk, perfumed with coriander, dried mint, and saffron. A creamy and delicately tangy stew.
Honor to you who share my mat! Know that this dish is the glory of Baghdad; the wits debate it in assemblies as I debate equations. One chooses fat lamb, cooks it with patience, then marries it to soured milk — but beware: you must stir it constantly with one hand, else the milk curdles and the work is lost, like a miscalculation. A dried mint leaf, a thread of saffron, and thanks are given. Stretch out your right hand and taste.
- •Fatty lamb — a fine piece (protein)
- •Soured milk (laban) — in abundance (tangy binder)
- •Onion — one (aromatic)
- •Fresh coriander and dried mint — a few sprigs (herbs)
- •Saffron — a few threads (color and fragrance)
- •Cinnamon and cumin — a pinch (spices)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Madîra, Lamb Stew in Soured Milk
Lamb pieces long-simmered, then bound in thickened fermented milk, perfumed with coriander, dried mint, and saffron. A creamy and delicately tangy stew.
Why this dish? The madîra was THE dish at Baghdad's great tables, praised in assemblies of scholars; a scholar invited to a patron's or caliph's table tasted the opulence of the Abbasid capital.
Honor to you who share my mat! Know that this dish is the glory of Baghdad; the wits debate it in assemblies as I debate equations. One chooses fat lamb, cooks it with patience, then marries it to soured milk — but beware: you must stir it constantly with one hand, else the milk curdles and the work is lost, like a miscalculation. A dried mint leaf, a thread of saffron, and thanks are given. Stretch out your right hand and taste.
Ingredients (period version)
- Fatty lamb — a fine piece (protein)
- Soured milk (laban) — in abundance (tangy binder)
- Onion — one (aromatic)
- Fresh coriander and dried mint — a few sprigs (herbs)
- Saffron — a few threads (color and fragrance)
- Cinnamon and cumin — a pinch (spices)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Lamb shoulder, cubed — 800 g (protein)
- Full-fat plain yogurt — 500 g (tangy binder)
- Egg yolk — 1 (yogurt stabilizer)
- Onion — 1 (aromatic)
- Dried mint — 1 tbsp (herb)
- Fresh coriander — 1 small bunch (herb)
- Saffron — 1 pinch (color and fragrance)
- Cinnamon and cumin — 1/2 tsp each (spices)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Brown the lamb pieces with the sliced onion, then cover with water and simmer for 1 hour until tender.
- Whisk the yogurt with the egg yolk and a pinch of salt (the yolk prevents curdling during cooking).
- Pour the yogurt over the meat over very low heat, stirring always in the same direction, without letting it boil.
- Add the saffron, cinnamon, cumin, and dried mint, and let thicken for 10 minutes, stirring.
- Sprinkle with fresh coriander before serving, with flatbread.
How it was made : The madîra is one of the most famous dishes of the Abbasid era, to the point that an entire session of al-Harîrî's *Maqâmât* is devoted to it. Soured milk was stabilized by constant stirring and the addition of egg or starch to prevent curdling.
The contemporary twist : Serve in a deep bowl with a drizzle of saffron oil and a flatbread chip, 'scribe's tajine' style.
Sources : al-Harîrî, Maqâmât (session of the madîra, 11th-12th c.) · Nawal Nasrallah, Annals of the Caliphs' Kitchens, Brill, 2007 · Maxime Rodinson, 'Recherches sur les documents arabes relatifs à la cuisine', Revue des études islamiques, 1949
Al-Khwârizmî · Charactorium
