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Zucchini Stuffed With Lamb And Rice
(Dulma)
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| What You Need: |
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12 small zucchini or other summer squash
½ pound lean ground lamb
1 cup finely chopped onions
6 tablespoons cooked rice, made from 2 tablespoons long-grain unconverted rice, or 6 tablespoons leftover boiled rice
2 eggs
1 teaspoon finely cut fresh mint leaves, or substitute ½ teaspoon crumbled dried mint
¼ teaspoon hrisa
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup olive oil
4 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, peeled (see bigos) and quartered
½ cup water
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Scrub the zucchini under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. With a small, sharp knife, cut about ½ inch off both ends of each zucchini.
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2. Carefully tunnel out the center of each zucchini, leaving a ¼-inch-thick shell all around. The best utensil for this is the Syrian munara, or squash corer, but an apple corer is almost as effective.
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3. In a deep bowl, combine the lamb, ½ cup of the onions, the rice, eggs, parsley, mint, hrisa, mace and salt. Knead the ingredients together with your hands, then beat vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is smooth.
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4. Taste for seasoning. Stuff the zucchini with the lamb mixture, dividing it evenly among them and smoothing the open ends with a spatula.
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5. Warm the oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over moderate heat. When a light haze forms above it, add the remaining ½ cup of onions and, stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and translucent but not brown.
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6. Stir in the tomatoes, water and pepper, and bring to a boil over high heat. Arrange the zucchini in one layer on top of the tomatoes, and spoon the liquid over them.
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7. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the zucchini are tender enough to be easily pierced with a fork.
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8. To serve, arrange the zucchini attractively on a heated platter and pour the tomato sauce over them.
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