SPINAC ROOT STEW / TERBYEL ISPANAK KK

Please welcome this tasteful SPINACH STEW made of the roots of spinach plants and seasoned veal. The spinach roots are the meaty and much tastier parts of the plant with more energy and minerals. Spinach roots stew is an elegant dish with its distinct texture, balanced meat-vegetable proportion, and savoury taste.
Try this picturesque local dish at home! Relish it and improve your techniques and creativity for cooking gourmet vegetable dishes.

Here are the Ingredients:
1 Kg veal leg (or lamb shank)
500 g spinach roots
1 large(~200 g) onion
1 whole head of garlic
cup olive oil (or 40-50 g butter)
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 cups water

For the Sauce:
1 lemon
1 egg
tsp salt
1.5 cups boiling juice of spinach

Directions:
PREPARATION
Spinach roots
Since spinach grows close to the ground, its leaves and roots get covered with dirt and sand. So, wash them very carefully!
The best way to get rid of all the dirt is to soak the spinach in water for 20-30 minutes, then rinse with running water.
Cut the stems at 8-10 cm from the roots, then soak both ends in water.
Once the dirt of the roots is softened and dissolved in the water, rinse them well with running water.
Cut off discolored and tough parts, then set the spinach roots aside
Use the spinach leaves for other tasty spinach dishes; creamy puree, saute, soup or salad

Meat
Peel the onion and dice into small pieces, then place into a large pot
Peel and mince the garlic, then set aside
Lightly wash the veal leg and dab off the excess water with paper towel
Dice the meat into 5x5 cm pieces and set aside
COOKING
Meat
Place the pot of onions on the stove, add cup of olive oil.
Sautee the onions on medium heat for 2-3 minutes
Then, add the meat and continue sauteing
First, the meat will release its juice. Crack open the lid to prevent the broth from boiling over
Sautee the meat for 20-25 minutes, until all the broth evaporated.
Then, add 3 cups of hot water, the minced garlic, and ground black pepper
Lower the heat and cook the meat for 40-45 minutes, until the meat is soft and tender.
(!) Beware: if you use lamb shank, that type of meat will soften within 25-30 minutes

Spinach roots
Keeping the fresh texture and colour of the spinach roots is essential for this vibrant dish. So, instead of boiling, we will blanch the roots to preserve their piquancy
To blanch the roots: pour 1-1.5 liters of boiling water over the spinach roots (or submerge the roots into boiling water), boil for 1-2 minutes, then immediately immerse in ice water for 10-15 seconds (or running cold water) to cool down the roots completely and drain the cold water
Keep the boiling water for later use

THE SAUCE
In a separate saucepan, mix the juice of 1 lemon, 1 egg, tsp salt, and 1.5 cup of boiling water from blanching the spinach roots
Boil the mixture for 1-2 minutes while whisking continuously
Then, keep warm until serving

ASSEMBLY
Once the meat, the roots, and the sauce is cooked, you can assemble them into an oven-safe serving plate or a wide and shallow pot
Place the meat at the bottom, and the blanched spinach roots along the contour of the pot
Add the remaining cup of the blanching water, 1 tsp of salt, and warm up the dish for 5-7 minutes on medium heat
Just before serving, drizzle the sour sauce over the meat and spinach roots
Best to serve immediately!
Enjoy a plateful of finesse!
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