BULGARIAN LAMB WITH VEGETABLES

Kavarma is a national dish in Bulgaria, a stew that can be made with any meat – beef, lamb, pork, even with chicken. “Many leeks”, instructs Bulgarian-born Chef Nikolay Stoianov, “mushroom, tomato, garlic, and chubritsa of course”. Chubritsa is a variety of mint that grows wild on the mountains, though the flavor more closely resembles oregano or savoury. The stew is often baked in individual, boat-shaped dishes called gondolas, and one day I was served kavarma in a small water pitcher, the perfect shape for retaining the cooking juices. When I asked about an accompaniment of potatoes, Nikolay shook his head emphatically. “No, no”, he said, “it comes alone”.

Serves 4-6

900 g/2 lb boneless leg or shoulder of lamb
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 lb leeks, sliced including some of the green tops
2 onions, sliced
4 garlic cloves, chopped
Salt and pepper
Water
350 g/¾ lb tomatoes, seeded and chopped
225 g/½ lb mushrooms, sliced
3-4 tablespoons chopped oregano or savory 2-3 tablespoons chopped parsley

1. Heat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Cut the lamb in 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes, discarding skin and fat. Heat the oil in a casserole and brown pieces of lamb on all sides, working in 2-3 batches. Remove it and add the leeks, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Fry over medium heat, stirring often, until the vegetables are wilted. Stir in the meat and add water to just cover. Top with the tomatoes, mushrooms, oregano or savory, salt, and pepper. Stir together and bring the stew to a boil.

2. Cook it, uncovered, in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir again, cover and continue cooking until the lamb and vegetables are very tender, 1-1½ hours longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Sprinkle the stew with the parsley just before serving.