Whole Stuffed Baby Lamb with Pistachios Makes 12 servings Prepartion time: 1 hour 30 minutes (yeah, right!) Cooking time: 5 to 6 hours 1 baby lamb, 14 to 18 pounds Juice of 2 onions 1 teaspoon salt 10 cloves garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons ground saffron dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water 1/2 cup melted butter or ghee Stuffing: 3 cups long-grain bastmati rice 9 cups water 2 tablespoons salt 4 large onions, peeled and thinly sliced 10 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed 1/2 cup melted butter 1 cup chopped fresh scallions 1 cup chopped fresh parsley 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon 1 cup chopped fresh coriander 1 cup chopped almonds 2 cups chopped pistachios 2 cups slivered walnuts 2 cups raisins 2 cups slivered apricots 2 cups dried barberries, cleaned and drained 2 cups chopped, pitted dates 4 apples, peeled, cored, and chopped 2 teaspoons turmeric 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons advieh (Persian spice mix) This spectacular dish is served on festive occasions. It is often the centerpiece of a lavish wedding feast. Several lambs would be prepared to serve all the guests. 1. Order the lamb ahead of time. Ask your butcher to prepare the lamb for stuffing and to bone the legs. 2. Rinse the lamb inside and out, and wipe dry with a towel. Rub inside and out with mixture of onions juice and 1 teaspoon salt. 3. Using the point of a small knife, make 10 slits in the lamb and insert a clove of garlic in each. Set aside while preparing the stuffing. 4. In a saucepan, cook rice for 20 minutes in 9 cups water and 2 tablespoon salt. Drain and set aside. 5. In a large skillet, saute the onions and garlic in the butter. Add the scallions, herbs, nuts, fruit and spices. Cook for 5 minutes. 6. In a large bowl, combine all the stuffing ingredients with the rice and mix well. Preheat the oven to 350F. Stuff the lamb tightly with the mixture and sew up the belly. Use a large trussing needle and strong kitchen threat. 7. Place the lamb in a roasting pan in the oven and cook for 4-5 hours, or until meat separates easily from the bone. Using a pastry brush, baste the lamb occasionally with a mixture of the saffron water and melted butter, and the pan juices. 8. Lay the lamb on an oval platter in the center of a huge mount of chelow (saffron steamed rice), and serve with torshi (Persian pickles) and sabzi-khordan (fresh herbs and vegetables). Nush-e Jan! Persian Spice Mix for Rice (Advieh-ye polow) Makes about one-half cup 2 tablespoons ground dried rose petals 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons ground cardamon 1 tablespoon ground cumin :: zombiechow main ::