Ingredients

• 2 kg bone-in lamb shoulder
• 500 g dried jameed
• 1.5 L warm water
• 3 L water
• 1 onion
• 3 leaves bay leaves
• 5 green cardamom pods
• 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
• 800 g medium-grain rice
• 6 tbsp samneh
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1.2 L lamb cooking broth or water
• 3 shrak bread
• 60 g blanched almonds
• 40 g pine nuts
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• to taste salt

Method

1. 01
   Soak the jameed Break the jameed balls into small pieces with a pestle or a heavy pan, put them in a bowl, and cover with the warm water. Leave to soak for about six hours, or overnight.
2. 02
   Blend the jameed Blend the softened jameed together with its soaking water until completely smooth, then pour it through a sieve into a large pot.
3. 03
   Parboil the lamb Put the lamb in a large pot, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Boil for ten minutes, skimming off the grey foam as it rises.
4. 04
   Simmer the lamb Drain the lamb and rinse the pot. Return the lamb with the three litres of fresh water, the onion, bay leaves, cardamom and peppercorns, then simmer gently, partly covered, for about one hour and fifteen minutes until the meat is nearly tender.
5. 05
   Soak the rice While the lamb simmers, rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then cover it with cold water and leave it to soak for thirty minutes.
6. 06
   Heat the jameed Put the pot of jameed over medium-low heat and bring it slowly to a gentle simmer, stirring constantly in one direction, for about fifteen minutes.
7. 07
   Cook lamb in jameed Lift the lamb into the jameed sauce and add about two ladles of the strained lamb broth. Simmer gently for thirty minutes, then taste and add salt only if needed.
8. 08
   Cook the rice Melt four tablespoons of samneh in a pot, add the drained rice and turmeric, and stir for a minute. Pour in the lamb broth or water with a little salt, bring to a boil, then cover and cook on the lowest heat for twenty minutes.
9. 09
   Toast the nuts Melt the remaining two tablespoons of samneh in a small pan and fry the almonds and pine nuts, stirring, for about four minutes until golden.
10. 10
    Layer the bread Spread the shrak bread over a large round tray so it overlaps the edges, and moisten it with a few ladles of the hot jameed sauce.
11. 11
    Assemble and serve Mound the rice over the bread, spoon over more sauce, and arrange the lamb on top. Scatter with the toasted nuts and parsley, and serve straight away with the remaining jameed in a bowl for pouring.