Braised Lamb in Eggplant Puree

I’d heard of hunkar begendi and even tried it in Turkish restaurants elsewhere before I went to Istanbul, but I was not prepared for the reverence it inspires. Not only is this dish delicious—its name means “Sultan’s Delight”—but its appearance causes a hush to fall over a table. This is great stuff, a creamy, eggplantlaced béchamel topped with tender braised lamb. It’s a fair amount of work, but worth it.