Tachin and Willie Nelson
Saffron Rice Cake with Braised Lamb and an award-winning sativa
If I was smarter, I would’ve posted this recipe before Nowruz (Persian New Year), which is celebrated every year on March 20th. I hosted my first Nowruz gathering at my apartment in Brooklyn this year, but I didn’t want to serve the traditional sabzi polo ba mahi (herb rice with white fish) for the main course because, frankly, I didn’t have a taste for it. Tachin e mahicheh (rice and saffron “cake” with lamb) isn’t necessarily traditional to Nowruz, but I’ve noticed lots of Iranians serve it on sol-e-no because of its rich golden hue. Jewel tones and bright colors are adorned on Nowruz to symbolize the first day of spring, which Persians deem as the true beginning to the new year.
Tachin is laborious to prepare, but once it’s in the oven you can forget about it until it’s time to serve. Braised lamb is sandwiched between saffron rice to create three distinct layers, and the rice is held together with egg yolks and yogurt as it bakes. The tachin is flipped from the baking dish onto a platter and topped with fried barberries before it’s cut into like a cake. As mentioned, it’s a lot of work. But I promise it’s worth it.
Because the steps are so extensive, I wanted a sativa to keep me moving in the kitchen and offset the food coma that comes with the inevitable second (or fifth) serving of Tachin. My dispensary stocked up on Willie Nelson, an award-winning strain “lauded for its euphoric, creative effects.” I prefer sativas and Willie Nelson is one of my favorites. The flavor is grassy and the high energizes me. If you can’t find Willie Nelson at your dispensary or grower, a sativa of similar potency is fine.
TACHIN E MAHICHEH
YIELD: 8 servings
COOK TIME: About 4 hours, plus overnight marinating
SUPPLIES:
Dutch oven
9x13 glass baking dish (it must be glass to keep an eye on the crust as it bakes)
Fine mesh strainer
Large colander
Rubber spatula
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Aluminum foil
Large serving platter
2 large mixing bowls
Gallon-sized plastic ziplock bags (or another large mixing bowl)
INGREDIENTS FOR MAHICHEH (BRAISED LAMB SHANKS)
4 lamb shanks, about one pound each
2 teaspoons turmeric powder
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1 teaspoon dry thyme
1 teaspoon dry mint
3 cups beef or chicken stock
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoon oil
5 to 6 fresh thyme sprigs
5 to 6 fresh dill sprigs
5 to 6 fresh mint leaves
INGREDIENTS FOR TACHIN
3 cups basmati rice, uncooked
4 large egg yolks
2 cups plain whole milk yogurt
1 cup neutral oil, like vegetable or canola, plus more for greasing
1½ teaspoons saffron threads, finely ground
½ cup dried barberries, plus an extra ½ cup cup for garnish
1½ teaspoons ground mustard seed
1½ teaspoons turmeric powder
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, or to taste
PREPARATION
The night before you cook, season the lamb shanks. Remove lamb shanks from its packaging and pat dry with a paper towel.
Mix turmeric powder, ground mustard seed, dry thyme, dry mint, kosher salt, and freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl. Combine well so all the spices are distributed evenly and free of lumps.
Place lamb shanks in a gallon-sized Ziploc bag or large glass bowl. Pour spices onto the lamb and shake or mix well, until all the shanks are evenly coated (you may need to wear gloves and rub them in by hand). Put in the refrigerator overnight until you’re ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 325°F and remove lamb shanks from the refrigerator.
Take a hit of Willie Nelson from your pipe, bong, joint, pen, or whatever your preferred apparatus.
In a large Dutch Oven or heavy bottom pot, melt 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Sear 2 lamb shanks at a time, for 3 to 4 minutes on all sides, until the lamb develops a nice crust but isn’t burned.
Add 2 cups of the beef or chicken stock to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to help scrape the charred bits and stir. This will add lots of flavor to the braising liquid. Some of the stock will evaporate as it hits the pan, so add the last cup after it settles.
Add a few of the fresh thyme, mint, and dill sprigs to the stock. Return lamb shanks to the pot and nestle them in the braising liquid. They should be partially submerged, and the top of the lamb shanks should be poking out of the liquid. Add the rest of the fresh thyme, mind, and dill on top of the lamb.
Cover with the lid, and place the pot in the center rack for about two hours.
While the lamb cooks, parboil the rice. Measure 3 cups of rice in a large mesh strainer with a bowl underneath. Rinse rice with cold water, allowing the water to fill the bowl. The water will be cloudy. Rinse 3 or 4 more times, until the water is significantly less cloudy (it will never be completely clear, but you’ll want to rinse off as much starch as possible without being obsessive). Set the strainer with the rinse rice over the bowl aside to continue draining.
Boil 7 cups of water in a large pot or rice cooker. As it starts to boil, add 2 tablespoons of salt and stir. Add the rice to the boiling water and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, until partially cooked. The center of the rice should be firm, but the ends will be soft and slightly transparent.
Drain parboiled rice in a colander and immediately rinse with cold water until the rice is cool. This stops the cooking process and prevents the rice from becoming mushy as it continues to cook in the oven. Set aside until ready to use.
After two hours, pull the lamb shanks from the oven. They should be very tender and fall off the bone. Remove lamb shanks from the pot and set on a plate lined with aluminum foil. Cover with excess foil and set aside until cooled. Discard lamb stock, or pour through a mesh strainer and save for future use.
Take another hit of Willie Nelson. You deserve it.
Grease a 9 by 13 inch glass baking dish with lots of oil. It needs to be glass so you can keep an eye on the color as it bakes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the greased baking dish on the oven rack second from the bottom as the oven preheats.
Measure 1½ teaspoons of saffron threads and finely grind them using a mortar and pestle. Alternatively, you can place threads in a small Ziploc bag and use the back of a spoon to carefully grind into powder. Add two tablespoons of boiling hot water directly into the mortar and pestle, using a spoon to dilute the saffron powder stuck to the sides (if using a Ziplock bag and spoon, place the saffron powder in a heat-proof bowl before adding the hot water). Let rest for at least ten minutes.
Sauté the dried barberries. Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in a sauce pan and add the barberries. Cook barberries for 2 to 3 minutes, until they’ve absorbed some of the butter and begin to swell. Just as they’re about to caramelize, remove from heat and place in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, add egg yolks, yogurt, and neutral oil and whisk to combine. Once yolks, yogurt, and oil are fully incorporated, add the saffron water to the bowl. Whisk into the yogurt mixture until combined.
Add ground turmeric, mustard seeds, salt, and pepper to the bowl. Whisk again until no lumps remain.
Add the parboiled rice to the saffron and yogurt mixture in thirds. Add the first batch of rice and mix with a rubber spatula, just until all the rice is coated. Repeat again with the second and third batches until all the rice is combined. Do not overmix. Set aside.
When the lamb shanks are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone. Don’t shred the lamb—you want small chunks of braised lamb. Discard excess fat and bones.
Assemble the tachin. Carefully remove the baking dish from the oven. Layer half of the rice mixture on the bottom, using the rubber spatula to press the mixture into the dish. Scatter the lamb chunks the barberries on top of the rice in an even layer.
Pour the rest of the rice mixture over the lamb and barberries. Spread the rice mixture to the edges of the baking dish, pressing lightly but not so hard that it disrupts the lamb and barberries.
Cover tightly with foil. Using a knife, make a small slit in the center of the foil to allow steam to escape.
Place in the oven for 85 to 90 minutes (while the tachin is in the oven, smoke more Willie Nelson. You deserve it), or until the crust is a deep, golden yellow but not burned. This will depend on your oven, but don’t take it out until the crust is noticeably darker.
After removing from the oven, let the tachin rest (with the foil on) for 10 minutes. Take another hit of Willie Nelson.
Remove the foil. Run a knife along the edges to release the rice. Place a platter or large platter and (carefully!!!) flip the tachin. Scatter the barberries on top and serve.