All right, let's start this blog off with a concept created by Amanda, executed by... well, mostly me and her husband.
Lamb Apples!
That's right, apples with a lamb filling. I know that sounds reversed, but believe me it is delicious. Amanda got the idea from a great traditional Armenian cookbook, which had a recipe for apples stuffed with something else, maybe fruit or some such. The method came from a combination of that, online recommendations for other stuffed apples, and our heads.
First, we made the filling. Ingredients:
Ground lamb- we used about two pounds, but we probably didn't need quite that much.
Oil- about two tablespoons will do; we used veggie oil, but I'll probably try sesame next time
Onion- about half an onion, diced
Garlic- about two cloves, minced
Dried cranberries/raisins- about half a cup
Pistachios- 1/4 to 1/2 cup, ground
Spices- we used a fairly sweet, dark, Indian blend of spices including cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon (among other things), to taste
I stir-fried the filling, starting by sweating the onions and garlic in the oil until the onions looked decently translucent. Then I added the pistachios and fruit, just to warm them up a bit and get the flavor of the onions and garlic in them, and then the lamb. I cooked the lamb, stirring frequently, until it was mostly brown before adding the spices. I should note here that I cook without adding salt, but most people would probably put a pinch or three in at this point for good measure.
DO NOT stuff apples with raw filling- it isn't likely that you will be able to cook the filling thoroughly in the oven without ruining the apples.
Meanwhile, the apples were being prepped- Amanda's husband used a scoop of some sort (I think it was actually intended for making cookies) to remove the stem and seeds from the apples without putting holes in the bottom. He preheated the oven to 350 F and put the six apples in a baking tin with a lid. We also put a bed of bulgar pilaf (made by Amanda) beneath the apples to catch any delicious drippings that might come out in the baking process.
We stuffed the apples with as much lamb as would fit, sprinkled them with some leftover pistachio bits, and then covered them.
We baked the apples at 350 F, covered for 30 minutes, then uncovered for 20. They were ready to eat pretty much straight from the oven, and they were delicious! Pictures to come.
