Abgoosht — Lamb Shanks & Chickpea Dizi, Broth First

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Lamb Shanks, bone-in
• ¾ cup chickpeas, soaked overnight
• ½ cup white beans, soaked overnight
• 2 potatoes, peeled and halved
• 1 onion, quartered
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 dried limes, pierced
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp dried mint
• 5 cups water
• Salt and black pepper
• Flatbread, raw onion, and pickles, for serving

Method

1. Put the Lamb Shanks, drained legumes, onion, turmeric, and water in a heavy pot. Bring to a boil and skim the grey foam thoroughly for the first 10 minutes — that skimming is the difference between a clear broth and a cloudy one.
2. Cover and simmer gently for 60 minutes. Add the potatoes, tomato paste, dried limes, and salt, and cook 30 minutes more until everything is falling-soft.
3. Strain the broth into a bowl through a sieve, pressing lightly. Tear bread into the broth, sprinkle with dried mint, and serve that as the first course while the solids stay warm.
4. Pull out the bones, then mash the meat, legumes, and potatoes together in a bowl or mortar with a little broth until it's a coarse, spreadable paste called goosht kubideh. Season it hard; it needs more salt than you think.
5. Serve the mash with flatbread, raw onion wedges, and pickles. Two dishes, one pot, and no leftovers.