AlgerianChbah essafra (almond fritters in lamb sauce)
Chbah essafra: Algiers' wedding dish of almond-paste fritters in a sweet cinnamon lamb sauce
Cooks in Algiers bring out chbah essafra for weddings and grand family dinners, where it is served as the sweet main course: diamonds of almond paste scented with lemon and cinnamon are dipped in egg, fried golden and laid around tender lamb in a pale, buttery sauce sweetened with sugar and orange-blossom water. The contrast of savoury meat and soft, sweet almond is the point, and the dish is rich, so small portions with bread are usual. Chicken can replace the lamb, with a shorter cooking time. Chef's tip: warm the fritters in the sauce only at the table; dropping them into bubbling sauce is a common mistake, and they fall apart.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- Hard
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 720 kcal
Ingredients
For the lamb sauce
- 2 lb lamb shouldercut into large chunks
- 1 ⅜ oz butter
- 1 small oniongrated
- ½ tsp ground white pepper
- 1 pinch saffron threadsor a pinch of turmeric for colour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 ¼ cups water
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp orange-blossom water
For the almond fritters
- 9 oz ground almonds
- 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp lemon zestfinely grated
- 1 eggfor the paste
- 3 tbsp plain flourfor dusting
- 2 eggsbeaten, for coating
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oilfor shallow frying
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Melt 1 ⅜ oz butter in a heavy pot over a medium heat. Add 2 lb lamb shoulder, 1 small onion, 1 cinnamon stick, ½ tsp ground white pepper, 1 pinch saffron threads and 1 tsp salt and stir for 5 minutes, without browning, until the meat is coated and yellow.
5 minStep 2: Pour in 3 ¼ cups water, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the lamb is very tender.
75 minStep 3: Meanwhile, mix 9 oz ground almonds, 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar, ½ tsp ground cinnamon and 1 tsp lemon zest. Add 1 egg and knead into a firm paste.
Step 4: Pat the paste out on baking paper to 1.5 cm thick and cut into diamonds about 4 cm long.
Step 5: Stir 3 tbsp sugar and 2 tbsp orange-blossom water into the lamb sauce and simmer uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes until slightly syrupy.
15 minStep 6: Heat 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Dust each diamond in 3 tbsp plain flour, dip in 2 eggs and fry for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden. Drain on kitchen paper.
10 minStep 7: Arrange the lamb in a warm dish, set the fritters around it and spoon the hot sauce over the top just before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 720 kcal
- Protein
- 41 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 51 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does chbah essafra (almond fritters in lamb sauce) take?
- About 130 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of small onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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