Me-e puḫādi — lamb broth with leeks and siqqu
A liquid lamb stew simmered long with wild leeks, garlic, onion and a touch of fermented siqqu sauce that gives it depth. Slightly thickened with barley and eaten with bread, from a large shared bowl.
A liquid lamb stew simmered long with wild leeks, garlic, onion and a touch of fermented siqqu sauce that gives it depth. Slightly thickened with barley and eaten with bread, from a large shared bowl.
Draw near, and watch the cauldron steam. Into the water we throw the shoulder of the young lamb, then the leek, the onion, the garlic crushed in a mortar, and — here is the secret of my cooks — a few drops of siqqu, that fermented fish condiment that wakes up any flesh. Let it simmer until the meat falls from the bone; then bind it with a little barley flour and scatter fresh mint on top. This is the dish of the banquets where I receive conquered kings: let them know that the table of Ashur surpasses all others.
- •Lamb meat (shoulder) — a fine piece (base of the broth)
- •Leeks — a bunch (aromatic vegetable)
- •Onion and garlic — as much as you like (aromatic base)
- •Siqqu (fermented fish sauce) — a dash (umami and salt)
- •Barley flour — a handful (thickener)
- •Mint and coriander — a few sprigs (final freshness)
Me-e puḫādi — lamb broth with leeks and siqqu
A liquid lamb stew simmered long with wild leeks, garlic, onion and a touch of fermented siqqu sauce that gives it depth. Slightly thickened with barley and eaten with bread, from a large shared bowl.
Why this dish? The culinary tablets of Babylon, kept at Yale, describe about twenty meat broths — exactly the kind of dishes that covered the table of a Neo-Assyrian king at the great banquets of Nineveh. Ashurbanipal, who collected tablets of knowledge, would have recognized these recipes handed down from the Babylonia he dominated.
Draw near, and watch the cauldron steam. Into the water we throw the shoulder of the young lamb, then the leek, the onion, the garlic crushed in a mortar, and — here is the secret of my cooks — a few drops of siqqu, that fermented fish condiment that wakes up any flesh. Let it simmer until the meat falls from the bone; then bind it with a little barley flour and scatter fresh mint on top. This is the dish of the banquets where I receive conquered kings: let them know that the table of Ashur surpasses all others.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lamb meat (shoulder) — a fine piece (base of the broth)
- Leeks — a bunch (aromatic vegetable)
- Onion and garlic — as much as you like (aromatic base)
- Siqqu (fermented fish sauce) — a dash (umami and salt)
- Barley flour — a handful (thickener)
- Mint and coriander — a few sprigs (final freshness)
Ingredients
- Boneless lamb shoulder — 600 g, cut into large cubes (base of the broth)
- Leeks — 2, sliced (aromatic vegetable)
- Onion — 1, chopped (aromatic base)
- Garlic — 3 cloves, crushed (aromatic base)
- Fermented fish sauce (nuoc-mam or garum, if siqqu is unavailable) — 1 tbsp (umami and salt)
- Barley flour — 1 tbsp (thickener)
- Fresh mint and coriander — 1 small bunch (final freshness)
- Salt and cumin — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Brown the lamb cubes in a pot until coloured.
- Add onion, garlic and leeks, sweat for a few minutes.
- Cover with water, add the fermented fish sauce and a pinch of cumin, bring to a simmer.
- Simmer covered for 1 h 30 to 2 h, until the meat is tender.
- Mix the barley flour with a little cold broth and stir it in to lightly thicken.
- Adjust salt, scatter chopped mint and coriander, serve piping hot in a large bowl with barley flatbreads.
How it was made : The Mesopotamian culinary texts (YBC tablets, c. 1700 BC) record surprisingly precise recipes for meat broths: they mention leeks, garlic, onion, suḫutinnu (a plant of the allium family) and fermented condiments. The Neo-Assyrian cuisine of Ashurbanipal inherited them directly. The siqqu sauce, made from fish or locusts fermented in brine, played the role of our salt-umami.
The contemporary twist : Serve the broth in a black terracotta bowl, balance a barley flatbread on the rim and a mint leaf in the center: a 2700-year-old stew that feels like a comforting bistro dish.
Sources : Jean Bottéro, Textes culinaires mésopotamiens / Mesopotamian Culinary Texts, Eisenbrauns, 1995 · Yale Babylonian Collection, culinary tablets YBC 4644, 8958, 4648
Ashurbanipal · Charactorium