Entree: Turkey – Gaziantep – Beyran (spicy lamb and rice soup from Gaziantep flavored with garlic, clarified butter, and red pepper)

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 hr 55 min

Total 2 hrs 10 min

Ingredients

- 2 lb (900 g) bone-in lamb shoulder or shanks, cut into large pieces
- 10 cups (2.4 L) water
- 1 cup (200 g) short-grain rice, rinsed
- 6 cloves (approx. 18 g) garlic, crushed
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) unsalted butter or clarified butter (ghee)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) lamb fat or olive oil
- 2 tbsp (15–30 ml) Aleppo pepper (pul biber) or crushed red pepper flakes, divided
- 1 tsp (5 g) ground cumin
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) white vinegar, plus extra for serving
- Salt to taste
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Place the lamb pieces and water in a large pot and bring to a gentle boil. Skim any foam, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is very tender, about 1.5–2 hours. Remove meat, strain and reserve 8 cups (1.9 L) of the broth; shred the meat, discarding bones.
2. Return the reserved broth to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the rinsed rice and cook gently until the rice breaks down and the broth thickens slightly, about 25–30 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Meanwhile, mash the crushed garlic with a pinch of salt and 2 tbsp (30 ml) of the vinegar into a coarse paste. Melt the butter and lamb fat together in a small pan; add 1 tbsp (15 ml) of pul biber to the fat and warm briefly to infuse, keeping it hot but not burned.
4. When the rice is soft and the broth has a slightly creamy consistency, return the shredded lamb to the pot. Stir in the garlic-vinegar paste, ground cumin, remaining vinegar to taste, and salt. Simmer 2–3 minutes to meld flavors.
5. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls, drizzle each portion with the hot infused butter and pul biber, garnish with chopped parsley, and offer extra vinegar and lemon wedges at the table.