flipSaffron Adobo Lamb, Sevillian Style
Saffron Adobo Lamb, Sevillian Style
Why this dish? The dish from the table of the wealthy Sevillian merchant where Vespucci dined: meat, spices, and Andalusian wines, in a city still steeped in Andalusi culinary heritage.
Lamb pieces marinated in an adobo of vinegar, garlic, cumin, and saffron, then simmered until tender. A festive dish heir to medieval Andalusian cuisine, rich in spices and sharp with acidity.
In Seville, I sat at the table of a very wealthy merchant, and there they served lamb as the people of this land, long held by the Moors, know how to do. The meat is left overnight in vinegar with garlic, cumin, and that golden saffron worth its weight in silver; then it is gently cooked over the fire until it falls apart. Believe a man who has known the hunger of the holds: no sea biscuit consoles the soul like this perfumed meat washed down with an Andalusian wine.
- •Lamb shoulder — a good piece (meat)
- •Wine vinegar — a glass (acidic marinade)
- •Garlic — several cloves (aromatic)
- •Cumin and coriander seeds — to taste (spices)
- •Saffron — a few threads (signature spice)
- •Olive oil — as needed (cooking)
- •Almonds — a handful (sauce thickener)
Saffron Adobo Lamb, Sevillian Style
Lamb pieces marinated in an adobo of vinegar, garlic, cumin, and saffron, then simmered until tender. A festive dish heir to medieval Andalusian cuisine, rich in spices and sharp with acidity.
Why this dish? The dish from the table of the wealthy Sevillian merchant where Vespucci dined: meat, spices, and Andalusian wines, in a city still steeped in Andalusi culinary heritage.
In Seville, I sat at the table of a very wealthy merchant, and there they served lamb as the people of this land, long held by the Moors, know how to do. The meat is left overnight in vinegar with garlic, cumin, and that golden saffron worth its weight in silver; then it is gently cooked over the fire until it falls apart. Believe a man who has known the hunger of the holds: no sea biscuit consoles the soul like this perfumed meat washed down with an Andalusian wine.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lamb shoulder — a good piece (meat)
- Wine vinegar — a glass (acidic marinade)
- Garlic — several cloves (aromatic)
- Cumin and coriander seeds — to taste (spices)
- Saffron — a few threads (signature spice)
- Olive oil — as needed (cooking)
- Almonds — a handful (sauce thickener)
Ingredients
- Boneless lamb shoulder — 800 g, cubed (meat)
- White wine vinegar — 100 ml (acidic marinade)
- Garlic cloves — 4 (aromatic)
- Ground cumin — 1 tsp (spice)
- Ground coriander — 1 tsp (spice)
- Saffron — 1 good pinch of threads (signature spice)
- Olive oil — 3 tbsp (cooking)
- Blanched almonds — 40 g (sauce thickener)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Mix vinegar, crushed garlic, cumin, coriander, and salt; marinate the lamb in the refrigerator overnight.
- Drain the meat (reserve the marinade) and sear in olive oil until browned.
- Infuse the saffron in a little hot water and add it with the marinade and a glass of water.
- Cover and simmer gently for 1.5 hours, until the meat is tender.
- Pound the almonds (previously dry-roasted) with a little juice, then stir in to thicken the sauce.
- Adjust salt and acidity, serve hot with bread for sopping.
How it was made : Adobo — marinating meat in vinegar and spices — is a technique of preservation and preparation inherited from al-Andalus, common in Seville at the end of the 15th century. Thickening the sauce with pounded almonds is typical of medieval Iberian cuisine; saffron, cumin, and coriander testify to the long Andalusian cross-fertilization.
The contemporary twist : Plated on a saffron chickpea purée, sprinkled with toasted slivered almonds and pomegranate seeds for fresh acidity.
Amerigo Vespucci · Charactorium
