Mutton with honey and almonds

En français ici.
Today is Orthodox Easter and since I posted a baking recipe for Easter last week, this Sunday you get the plat de resistance as Americans say while imitating the French ;-)

This recipe came to me unexpectedly while I was sitting (very attentively, mind you) in class. I saw a note getting passed across the room, handed to me and imagine my surprise when the note in question contained a medieval recipe for Mamonia : mutton with honey and almonds, from the girl sitting across the room, who had recently stumbled across my blog!

It turned out to be a wonderful dish for a feast :-) Thanks for the idea Mathilde!



Mamonia
(translated and adapted by Hopie's Kitchen)
for 6 people

1.5 kg shoulder of mutton (or lamb)
1/2 cup (or more) liquid honey
1/2 cup almond powder (ground almonds)
a handful of sliced almonds
1 large tablespoon fresh grated ginger
1 stick of cinnamon
a pinch of saffron
about 10 baby onions
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt, pepper

1. Cut the meat into pieces (I had the butcher do this part). Heat the oil and lightly brown the mutton and the baby onions.

2. Put the meat and onions in a baking dish and pour the honey over it. Salt, pepper and sprinkle with ginger. Add the saffron and cover with water. Add the cinnamon stick and the almond powder (ground almonds). Top with the sliced almonds.


3. Cover the dish with aluminum foil with a couple cuts in the top for the steam.

4. Cook in an oven on medium heat (it's not precise, I know, but at least I didn't say "cook it over an open fire for the authentic medieval taste") for about 2 hours.

5. Serve with rice. If the liquid from the dish hasn't completely evaporated you can use it to cook the rice. (Or pasta, which is what I served it with, and next time I think I'll add a couple potatoes to the dish to cook along with the meat and serve it that way).